A man is dead following a shooting involving a sheriff’s deputy in Porterville
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Deputies tracked a trespass suspect near Plano Bridge and encountered resistance.
- Deputy used TASER then shot after suspect struck him with a two–three‑foot stick.
- Sheriff’s office reported Porterville PD will investigate; deputy on administrative leave.
A man is dead following an officer involved shooting Tuesday in Porterville, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s office.
The shooting happened just after 11 a.m. on the northeast side of the Tule River near the Plano Bridge in Porterville.
According to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, members of the Sheriff’s Homeless Enforcement Assistance Response Team (HEART) were in that area Tuesday morning to try to contact a man who was seen trespassing private property the previous day.
On Monday, Feb. 23, members of HEART were conducting routine patrol checks on the northeast side of the Tule River near the Plano Bridge when they noticed a man trespassing in an area that is considered private property.
According to the sheriff’s office, that area is patrolled regularly by deputies to provide resources and assistance to unhouse individuals, and to ensure they are not trespassing private property.
The man ran off when deputies tried to contact him on Monday during the routine patrol, sheriff’s office say.
When deputies of HEART returned to the area Tuesday morning, they were able to track the trespassing suspect, who ran off again and hid amongst trees. Deputies believe that is where he’d been living, sheriff’s office said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy who was involved in shooting, attempted to contact the suspect again, trying to get him to come out. The suspect refused and began “violently resisting,” according to a sheriff’s office news release. At that point, the deputy grabbed his taser, which was ineffective on the suspect, the sheriff’s office said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect grabbed a two-three-foot-long stick, and swung it at the deputy, striking him. During the second swing of the stick, the deputy pulled out his gun and fired at the suspect who died on scene.
The identity or age of the man who was killed was not released as of Tuesday.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Porterville Police Department will be handling the officer involved shooting investigation.
The deputy, who has not been identified by the sheriff office, will be placed on standard administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, according to law enforcement.
This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 11:19 AM with the headline "A man is dead following a shooting involving a sheriff’s deputy in Porterville."
