Overview
- Detective Randy Hoppert was shot Thursday in Porterville while deputies served a final eviction notice and later died at Sierra View Medical Center, the agency’s first line-of-duty death since 2007.
- Officials identified the shooter as David Morales, about 60, who used a high-powered rifle, barricaded himself in a home, and traded fire with officers for hours.
- The standoff ended around 6 p.m. when Morales left concealment in camouflage and was run over by a BearCat, an armored rescue vehicle used by police, after he kept firing.
- Nearby schools were secured, residents sheltered in place, and a large response included Porterville, Tulare and Farmersville police, a CHP helicopter, and Bakersfield and Visalia SWAT teams.
- Sheriff Boudreaux said Morales had stopped paying rent for 35 days and “laid in wait” for deputies, and he said investigators will review the timeline and the decision to use the armored vehicle.