Escalon police names officers in fatal shooting of man alleged to have fired shotgun

The Escalon police officers involved in Wednesday night’s fatal shooting of a man were identified Friday evening.

They are Gustavo Flores, a 20-year veteran, and Vincent Quilici, on the force for four months, the Escalon Police Department said in a news release.

Matthew Freeseha Jr., 39, was shot on the 18000 block of Brannan Avenue after getting out of his vehicle and firing a shotgun at three officers, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office reported. The officers had responded to a call from a woman who said her ex was threatening to kill her and her children, the report said.

The 7:40 p.m. call came from an address outside the city limits, but the Sheriff’s Office asked for police help because its own officers were not close to the area.

Friday’s release said Flores and Quilici were required to attend a “critical incident stress debrief” and were placed on three days of paid administrative leave. No further details were released on the shooting, including how many shots were fired and where Freesha died.

The investigation into the case includes the Sheriff’s Office, the Police Department, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Justice.