DA to investigate officer-involved shooting caught on camera
After months of investigating by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the district attorney’s office says it will now receive the case where Indio police officers shot and killed a 71-year-old man back in August of last year.
The coroner identified the man as Pedro Montanez about a month after the deadly shooting took place outside the Rancho Fresco Market in the 44500 block of Jackson Street near Dillon Road. Authorities said Montanez was suspected of threatening people with a knife. He was pronounced dead at JFK Memorial Hospital following the shooting, which happened at about 9:15 p.m.
Watch: Viewer captures dramatic video as police shot Montanez
According to John Hall, spokesman for the district attorney’s office, they have not made any decision regarding the shooting death of Montanez. The shooting was caught on camera by one of KESQ and CBS Local 2’s viewers. You can hear about seven to eight shots fired in the video.
The officer involved in the shooting was Officer Christopher Cordova, according to Sgt. Dan Marshall with the Indio Police Department. He was placed on administrative leave per the Indio Police Department’s policy, but has since returned to duty.
Sgt. Marshall said Officer Cordova was employed with Indio P.D. for two years at the time of the incident.
This is the second valley officer-involved shooting case the DA’s office has received in the past two weeks. Last week they received the case involving an officer-involved shooting in Palm Springs from last year. That case is also still under review by the DA’s office.
The man shot in Palm Springs was identified as 26-year-old Abraham Ortiz. His family filed a claim against the city of Palm Springs over the deadly shooting.
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