West Sacramento police say man shot to death by officers was former member of department
An 88-year-old man who was shot to death by West Sacramento police over the weekend was a former Police Department employee who was struggling with mental illness and had suicidal thought, officials announced Monday evening.
The Yolo County Coroner’s Office on Monday released the name of Robert Coleman, a West Sacramento resident who was shot during the encounter with West Sacramento police officers early Saturday near West Capitol Avenue. Police officials have said Coleman had a handgun during the encounter.
“Many people are impacted any time a life is lost. In this case, Mr. Coleman was not only a loving husband and a caring father, but he was also a member of the West Sacramento Police Department family for almost 10 years, according to a statement from the department on its Facebook page.
Department officials said Coleman began his career with the city in the late 1990s as a code enforcement officer, then as a parking enforcement officer. He also worked as a department volunteer in policing until 2004.
Coleman’s family told police he had recently been struggling with mental illness and had expressed suicidal ideations, which means he either spoke about or thought about taking his own life.
“We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy and ask that you keep the Coleman family in your thoughts,” police said. “Mr. Coleman’s condition, although relevant, will not impact the investigative efforts to scrutinize the actions of the involved officers.”
An independent investigation was being led by the Davis Police Department in accordance with department protocols. West Sacramento police said all officers were wearing body cameras that were activated and recording the incident as it unfolded.
The video footage was being reviewed as part of the Davis police investigation, and that video will be released within the time frame required by law, according to West Sacramento police. The department said more details about this shooting will be released at that time.
West Sacramento police said six officers were in the area and four were directly involved in the shooting. Those four officers will be placed on administrative leave as Davis police conduct the investigation.
In a news release Saturday morning, the West Sacramento Police Department said officers were initially called about 3 a.m. to the 1800 block of West Capitol Avenue for reports of an armed suspect in the area.
The person who made the call identified the suspect as “an African American male adult, approximately 30 years of age, holding a firearm,” according to police.
Officers arrived and searched the area for the suspect and made contact with others in the vicinity. One officer noticed a man sitting in a vehicle behind police near the intersection of Merkley and Poplar avenues.
Police said that a Black man, later identified as Coleman, walked out of the vehicle with a handgun. An officer attempted to make contact with him and “a shooting ensued,” according to police. The department has not released any further details about the shooting.
Police performed life-saving measures on Coleman while medics were dispatched, the West Sacramento department said. Medics pronounced Coleman dead at the scene. No officers were injured in the shooting.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 4:40 PM.
