Molestation suspect killed in officer-involved shooting in Byron

BYRON, Calif. -- A man facing child molestation charges was fatally shot by Contra Costa County sheriff's deputies Friday morning after a nearly 12-hour standoff in Byron, sheriff's officials said.

The situation began when the 49-year-old man was served with an arrest warrant at 10:06 p.m. Thursday. He responded by arming himself with a handgun and barricading himself in a home in the 2700 block of Hoffman Lane, Capt. Dan Hoffman said.

Hoffman said the $1.15 million arrest warrant was served in connection to 12 counts of child molestation charged against the man Thursday by the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.

The impetus for these charges was a February investigation by the sheriff's office, Hoffman said. A 13-year-old foster child reported that the man molested her for a period of time when she was 11 years old, Hoffman said.

When deputies first confronted the suspect Thursday night, he left his residence with a handgun before walking back into his home, where he covered windows up and barricaded himself, Hoffman said.

In the prolonged standoff that followed, Hoffman said negotiators "made hundreds of calls" to the man to get him to surrender peacefully. Deputies were able to evacuate other occupants in the home.

"We were in constant communication with this individual," Hoffman said. "The times that we were able to speak with him - clearly he was distraught."

"I can't speak to his mindset, but he did make comments that he had no intention on surrendering to us," he added.

A sheriff's office SWAT team was called in at about 3 a.m. to help resolve the standoff, Hoffman said. Around 9:30 a.m., a chemical agent described as an irritant was then used in the home to coax the man out.

Hoffman said the man exited the home's west-facing side from a window. He was carrying a handgun and did not comply with the deputies' orders to drop it, Hoffman said.

Hoffman said the man raised the firearm in the direction of the deputies before he was shot an unspecified amount of times.

"Unfortunately ... the deputies were left with no choice but to protect themselves," Hoffman said.

Hoffman could not confirm whether the man discharged his handgun before deputies shot him.

The man died at the scene from the gunshot wounds he suffered, despite efforts to resuscitate him, Hoffman said. His name is not being released pending notification of next of kin.

Investigators with the county sheriff's and district attorney's offices are tasked with investigating this officer involved shooting, as per usual protocol.