BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The official report of what happened during the officer involved shooting with Ricardo Enrique Usher has been released.
According to Kern County Sheriff officials, while the deputy was responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle in the area of Moneta and North Chester Avenue, 31-year-old Usher charged at the deputy.
The deputy kicked Usher, saw him still standing in front of him with something shiny in his hand, and shot him.
Then turning his body camera on, the deputy was able to record the previous 30 seconds of the encounter.
Kern County Sheriff Youngblood gave an update Friday, Sept. 18 on the shooting.
Youngblood said Deputy Weiss tried to wait for back-up before approaching two suspects in a stolen vehicle that he was investigating on Moneta Ave. Bodycam footage shown at the press conference shows Usher charging at Deputy Weiss while muttering incoherently.
"He [Usher] is charged with a PCC69, or interfering with the peace officer in the performance of their duties," said Youngblood.
According to the report the stolen vehicle and the two people detained from inside the vehicle are not involved in the shooting.
The incident is not Deputy Weiss' first officer-involved shooting. He was involved in another shooting a couple of years ago.
"When you come running at an officer at 1:30 in the morning in that type of situation whether you have a mental health issue or whether you're under the influence of drugs, and or alcohol, it makes me no difference," explained Youngblood. "What I do know is that you're going to attempt to hurt me."
Whether Usher was under the influence has yet to be concluded from the toxicology report. He is currently recovering in the hospital.
"When you pull a trigger, in this business/profession, a lot of things are going to happen. None of them are good," continued Youngblood. "We all know that. You're going to be subject to a lawsuit, subject to scrutiny by the sheriff, by the media, the public. It's just a part of what we do. We accept that. We hold them accountable when they do something wrong. In this particular case, we haven't gotten to that point yet. But right now, I can't see that I would've done anything different."
Ricardo Enrique Usher is facing felony assault charges and a misdemeanor for resisting arrest.
The deputy is currently on administrative leave.
Usher's bail is set at $500,000 and his new court date has been set for October 2.
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