SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego Police released details Wednesday about the development of an officer-involved shooting that killed a man in El Cerrito.
The aunt of 52-year-old Dennis Carolino called 911 the night of Aug. 24 to report he hit her in the head with a brick. The 70-year-old woman told police Carolino had psychiatric issues, officers said. She also told police Carolino had previous contact with them and had never been combative.
Police requested the assistance of the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) and responded to the home in the 5800 block of Adelaide Avenue, where officers encountered Carolino in the backyard.
“As the officers entered the backyard area to determine the location of the man, he quickly emerged from an outbuilding, holding a shovel. The officers gave the man verbal commands to drop the shovel. One of the officers drew his Taser at that point. The man did not cooperate with the officers’ commands and began to rapidly advance on the officers as he swung the shovel. One officer fired the Taser, which did not have any effect on him. The man continued to advance, prompting the other officer to fire his service weapon,” San Diego Police said in a statement.
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Three seconds passed from the time Carolino left the outbuilding to the time he was shot, according to SDPD.
Police provided aid to Carolino until paramedics arrived. He did not survive.
Officer Jose Mendez, a 16-year veteran of the department, fired his Taser, SDPD said. The officer who fired his service weapon was identified as Officer Brad Keyes, a four-year veteran of the department.
Body camera footage of the incident will be released within 45 days of the incident under Assembly Bill 748, said police.
Officers noted that PERT clinicians ride with police officers to provide additional resources for people with mental issues, however they do not have contact with those involved until the situation has been stabilized.
The investigation will be turned over to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office with monitoring by the San Diego Police Internal Affairs unit, FBI, and US Attorney’s office, police said.
