LAKEPORT — The Lake County District Attorney”s Office investigation into an Aug. 4 incident in which a law enforcement officer fatally shot an armed civilian during a marijuana garden raid found that the officer”s actions were justifiable.
“The investigation shows that the belief of the officer that deadly force was necessary to prevent great bodily injury or death was reasonable under the circumstances,” Lake County DA Jon Hopkins wrote in a statement Thursday.
Sgt. Christopher Chwialkowski, of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office, fatally shot Juan Sanchez Corona around 6:30 a.m. Aug. 4 during a law enforcement raid of marijuana plants near Socrates Mine Road in the area of Cobb Mountain.
Officers discovered Corona while investigating reports of illegal marijuana growth near the Bureau of Land Management property close to the Calpine Geysers power plants, Hopkins said.
Chwialkowski was part of two teams of law enforcement officers attempting to destroy illegally grown marijuana plants and capture people involved in the growth, Hopkins stated.
Chwialkowski was the point person in the first team when the officers heard an unidentified person clearing his throat, Hopkins said. Corona came into view as officers in the first team moved toward the noises, standing nearly 10 feet away from the uncovered first team. Chwialkowski identified the officers, saying, “Police,” and upon seeing a rifle in Corona”s right hand, said “drop the gun, drop the gun,” Hopkins said.
The DA”s investigation determined that the three other officers in the first team heard Chwialkowski make the statements and three of the four officers in the second team, located 25 to 50 yards away, also heard the sergeant”s instructions.
Corona turned toward Chwialkowski and raised his left hand toward the rifle, at which point Chwialkowski fired two shots at Corona, Hopkins said. One shot hit Corona in the forehead and the other struck the left side of his neck, Hopkins said, and Corona was pronounced dead at the scene.
Corona possessed an SKS semi-automatic rifle that had one round in the chamber, eight rounds in the magazine and had the safety on, according to Hopkins.
