Suspect went for a gun before Modesto officers shot him, body camera footage shows
The Modesto man fatally shot by police officers at a Motel 6 on Friday night can be seen lifting a mattress and grabbing a gun in the moments just before he was shot, body camera footage shows.
Modesto police were at the motel at 1920 West Orangeburg Avenue to assist a bail bondsman with taking 54-year-old Raymond Lee into custody. Lee had outstanding felony warrants, according to a press release from the Modesto Police Department.
In the video released by police, officers can be seen and heard banging on the motel room door, announcing they are police, and ordering Lee to come out with his hands up.
They did this for about a minute before using a key card to open the door.
A woman with a towel on her head was standing near the door when it opened. She put her hands in the air and walked out in response to officers’ orders.
Seconds later, Lee came around a wall near the bathroom area. Officers repeatedly yelled at him to show his hands as he walked to a bed, lifted the mattress and grabbed a black firearm.
Officer Jeffrey Brandon, a three-veteran of the department, and officer Cameron Irinaga, a one-year veteran, fired their weapons.
Four shots can be heard in the video. Police spokeswoman Sharon Bear would not say how many times Lee was shot. He died at the scene.
Investigators later discovered that Lee’s weapon was a BB gun.
Bear said she could not discuss the nature of Lee’s warrants, other than that they were related to drugs.
Court records show that Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Linda McFadden issued a bench warrant for Lee for failing to appear at his hearing on June 18. His $50,000 bond posted by Mark Garcia Bail Bonds was also forfeited.
In August 2018, Lee was charged with possession of methamphetamine for sale, possession of morphine for sale, possession of methadone for sale, possession of nunchuks, possession of stolen property and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to the criminal complaint, Lee had prior convictions for possession of methamphetamine for sale, evading a peace officer and battery on a peace officer.
The August 2018 case was investigated by Modesto police, but Bear said she could not discuss the details because it is part of the ongoing investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
She also said she did not have information about why the bail bondsman asked police for help on Friday night but said it’s normal for Modesto police to assist other agencies, including bail agencies.
The Modesto Police Department is conducting both a criminal and administrative investigation, and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office will do an independent review.
Brandon and Irinaga remain on paid administrative leave, which is standard in officer-involved shootings.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 1:37 PM.
