Spencer Shepard | spencer@kvsun.com
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office says an officer-involved shooting that left a 39-year-old Lake Isabella man dead in January followed department policy after an internal review completed last week.
The shooting happened early Jan. 11 after deputies responded to reports of gunfire near the 5300 block of Lake Isabella Boulevard. Deputies identified the man as Fernando Padilla.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies first encountered Padilla hours earlier that evening while investigating a domestic violence call in the 1700 block of Kilbreth Avenue. Deputies moved the victim to a safe location during that response. Officials said Padilla was believed to be armed and possibly suicidal but had not threatened anyone with the firearm at that time. Deputies disengaged as a de-escalation strategy because the reported offense was a misdemeanor and concerns existed about his mental state.
Around 12:40 a.m., dispatchers began receiving new 9-1-1 calls reporting shots fired near Lake Isabella Boulevard. Deputies responding to the area determined Padilla was allegedly firing a handgun in a populated area, which led to a felony investigation.
Deputies made contact with Padilla about 12:50 a.m., but he ignored commands and ran toward Highway 178. Authorities said deputies followed him for more than a mile while repeatedly ordering him to stop and requesting additional resources, including crisis negotiators, air support, a drone team, K-9 units, allied agencies and a supervising sergeant.
During the pursuit, Padilla began walking westbound in the eastbound lanes of Highway 178, creating a danger to motorists, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies deployed a 40-millimeter launcher that fires foam or sponge rounds designed to stop or deter a suspect. After the first round struck him, officials said Padilla fired two shots into the air. Deputies issued more commands and fired a second less-lethal round.
Investigators said Padilla then turned toward deputies while holding the firearm, and deputies opened fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives took over the investigation, and deputies Tyler Lathouwers and Caleb Smith were placed on routine critical incident leave, a standard step after deputy-involved shootings. The Sheriff’s Office said all uses of deadly force are investigated and submitted to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office for review.
On Feb. 4, the Sheriff’s Office convened an Incident Review Board to evaluate the case and determined the deputies’ use of force fell within department policy.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at 661-861-3110 or Kern Secret Witness at 661-322-4040.