Bullets whiz over Modesto Police officers’ heads in Thanksgiving shooting

Stray bullets from a shooting in southeast Modesto went flying over the heads of several Modesto Police officers who were in the area on an unrelated call Thanksgiving afternoon.

Three officers were doing a security check on a woman in the area of Riverside Drive and San Ignacio Avenue around 1 p.m. when “officers heard multiple shots fired, followed by the sound of rounds traveling over their heads,” said Lt. T.J. Moffett.

The officers — who were not injured — took cover and saw a vehicle fleeing the scene.

A perimeter was set up as more officers and deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department responded to the area.

Within minutes the vehicle was found abandoned a few blocks away and several people were detained, Moffett said.

Officers and deputies continued to search for additional suspects for 90 minutes but no one else was located.

The people who were detained were eventually released and no arrests have been made at this time. Moffett could not say why the people were released other than to cite the ongoing investigation.

He said the preliminary investigation suggests two groups of people were in a dispute and subsequently one or more of them shot at the other.

“Our officers were further down the road, resulting in the rounds passing by them,” Moffett said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Tipsters can email through the Crime Stoppers website, stancrimetips.com. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.

This story was originally published November 23, 2018 at 11:17 AM.