The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has released its initial “Critical Incident Debrief” containing video and audio documentation of the fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred in Lakeport in mid-November 2023.
The debrief includes footage from two deputies’ body cameras, one cellphone video of a suspect with a firearm tucked in his waistband, and the audio of the initial 911 dispatch.
The incident began on November 16, 2023, around 1:45 p.m. when Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 100 block of Dixon Drive where an assault reportedly occurred involving a knife.
The Critical Incident Debrief stated when deputies arrived at the property they found the driveway “barricaded with several vehicles and a boat.” Deputies proceeded onto the property where they reportedly contacted the assault suspect who drew a “concealed loaded firearm” from his waistband.
The Critical Incident Debrief specified the officer-worn body cameras capture the incident with a “general perspective within line of sight from that angle” prohibiting “viewers from seeing everything the deputies saw and experienced.”
The body camera footage depicted two deputies making entry onto the property. While standing alongside what appears to be an RV with a white house approximately 50 yards away, the deputies are initially rushed by a dog neutralized by what appears to be pepper spray.
Seconds later, one of the deputies catches sight of a suspect referred to as “Rick” who appears armed with a black handgun. Sergeant Moore takes a shot at “Rick” after he reportedly pointed the firearm in the deputy’s direction. For approximately four minutes, deputies yelled at “Rick” to drop the weapon.
“Rick” is not visible from the angle of the officer-worn body cameras at any point during the incident. Between reports to dispatch and conversations with each other, deputies reveal that “Rick” moved out of sight temporarily and deputies moved closer to the residence.
The fatal shooting occurred when the deputies made contact with “Rick” in the backyard of the residence near a pool. One deputy shouted, “I see him. He still has a gun in his hand.” Sergeant Moored yelled at the suspect, “Drop the gun, Rick! Don’t make us shoot you!” The incident concluded when Sergeant Moore can be heard firing his handgun a second time and reporting the “Suspect [is] hit. Fell in the pool. Splashing around in the pool.”
The cell phone video included in the Critical Incident Update depicts “the reported altercation prior to the deputy’s response” and shows “Rick” in a black hoodie and camouflage pants with what appears to be a loaded firearm in his waistband.
The final image presented in the Critical Incident Update depicts “Rick” lying in the pool seemingly deceased still holding onto a semi-automatic handgun he had reportedly pointed at deputies.
Lauren Berlinn, the Community Outreach Officer for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, told us last week the Lake County District Attorney’s Office is the lead investigating agency for this incident. All information about the incident will follow the “direction of the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.”
We have reached out for further information such as the decedent’s identity, the names, and the current employment status of the involved officers.
Is he related to the Richard Pyorre who had a storied lawsuit against State Farm about 20 years ago? He got a $12 million judgment but it was reversed on appeal.
Looks like they broke protocol by unprovoked firing at the suspect without viable cause, besides the suspect having a firearm in hand. The other officer is confused as to whom fired.
Damn that video is wild. Rick didn’t fire once. The cops executed his ass. All he did was swing the gun around he didn’t even shoot it. Absolutely outrageous. I hope his family gets a settlement out of that.
When you have a gun in your hand and the cops say “drop the gun” you drop the gun. If you don’t drop the gun and show your hands you will be fired upon! That’s how that has always worked. Waving a gun around when told to drop the gun is reason to be shot by any cop. Only an idiot would argue that point. In this case the idiot got shot.
Too bad “Rick” didn’t have a rifle with green tips.
The pigs were the aggressors here.
Things have changed, Outlaws, then felons always knew when the PO is coming you either run or surrender, everybody knew if you pulled a gun you were willing to kill or be killed. Now the PO begs you to put your gun down even if you fire, crazy, Dude must a been high or drunk or both or suicidal because of it. RIP Rick
Thank you Lake County Sheriff! Putting your life on the line for a lot of people that have zero respect for you must be hard. All he had to do was drop the weapon…now you have to live with what this man forced you to do.
The US military has tighter rules of engagement than this.
“Rick” didn’t fire. Executed by the government.
He should have listened to them the first time they gave him orders to put it down.
This was a family man, coach, business owner and my friend. He was quit frankly suffering from a mental breakdown. There was absolutely no reason to shoot to kill this man. Sgt moore didn’t try to de escalate the situation at all. He stood out in the open and fired. Interesting isn’t it that none of the other officers fired their weapons at a gun wielding suspect? In Most police shooting videos I’ve seen multiple officers unload entire magazines when neutralizing a threat. In this situation the other officers think the suspect fired the shot. If that had in fact been the case and he had pointed a firearm we all know what would have resulted I’d like to see “steve” body cam footage. That might clear up some angles.
Also it’s not illegal to carry a concealed firearm on your property. Mr Moore knows that he’s the instructor. Also all the talk about the firearm being loaded is irrelevant. That would’ve only been confirmed after the shooting. I think it’s pretty much assumed
This officer should have de-escalated and waited for someone with half a brain. There was no threat to the public, there was no threat to the officer standing out in the wide open and he escalated the situation shooting in less than 4 minutes of arrival. This is not the first time, and the man already has blood on his hands.