Officers’ names released in Ripon shooting

Manteca police on Thursday released the names of the officers involved in a deadly shooting in Ripon this week, as well as more details about what led to it.

Manteca police Officer Armen Avakian and Stockton police Officer Houston Stephens shot Angel Alan Gleason after he pointed a .2- caliber semi-automatic handgun at them several times in the area of the Jack Tone Road offramp from southbound Highway 99 in Ripon on Tuesday, according to authorities.

The incident began five minutes earlier in Manteca, where detectives from the San Joaquin County Delta Regional Auto Theft Team were conducting an unrelated search, according to Manteca police Sgt. Jodie Estarziau.

Detectives saw a silver BMW leaving the 1300 block of East North Street that had license plates registered to a Ford. They attempted a traffic stop but the BMW sped away and a pursuit ensued.

At some point Gleason stopped the BMW and a woman jumped out.

Estarziau said the pursuit went south on Highway 99, with Gleason reaching speeds of 100 mph and passing other motorists on the shoulder.

Gleason took the Jack Tone Road offramp, where he crashed into the back of a Jeep occupied by a 30-year-old woman and 5-year-old girl. The Jeep overturned and rolled down an embankment. The woman and girl suffered minor injuries and were taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for precautionary reasons.

The BMW was disabled as a result of the impact. Gleason got out of it holding the handgun and jumped over a guardrail onto an embankment.

Estarziau said he pointed the gun at Avakian, a 25-year Manteca police veteran, and Stephens, an 8-year Stockton police veteran, “on multiple occasions.”

Both fired their weapons, striking Gleason. Stephens is assigned to the San Joaquin County Delta Regional Auto Theft Team. Avakian joined in the pursuit upon request of Delta RATT. A third officer at the scene did not fire a weapon.

Lifesaving measures were performed on Gleason by officers at the scene. He was taken to a Modesto hospital, where he died.

Gleason had an outstanding $250,000 felony warrant for grand theft out of San Bernardino and an extensive criminal history. He was on felony probation in Stanislaus County for possession of controlled substances and in San Bernardino County for grand theft, Estarziau said. The firearm Gleason used was reported stolen out of Merced County. Gleason had crystal methamphetamine in his possession.

Further investigation over the past several days revealed the BMW had not been reported stolen. Additional investigation into the Ford license plate is being conducted.

The woman who was dropped off during the pursuit was detained by other officers and released after questioning.

The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by various law enforcement agencies within San Joaquin County as part of a countywide protocol.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Officers’ names released in Ripon shooting."