Overview
- The confrontation began on April 9 when deputies serving a final eviction notice in Porterville say 59-year-old David Morales ambushed them with rifle fire and Detective Randy Hoppert was shot and later died at a hospital.
- This week the Kern County Sheriff’s Office published combined body-worn camera, thermal drone and slow-motion video that shows the hours-long siege, exchanges of gunfire and the BearCat armored vehicle running over Morales.
- An internal Incident Review Board ruled on May 12 that the use of force complied with department policy, a finding local officials have cited in defending the tactics used.
- Sheriff Mike Boudreaux publicly defended the decision to use the armored vehicle and said deputies viewed Morales as an ongoing threat when they used the BearCat to disable him.
- The case is now under separate review by the Tulare County district attorney, and the video release has intensified public scrutiny and raised questions about how routine civil actions can rapidly turn into deadly tactical operations.