Man Killed By Huntington Beach Officer Was Navy Veteran, Says Mother Looking For Answers
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — The mother of a 27-year-old man fatally shot by a Huntington Beach police officer Friday says her son was a Navy veteran who suffered from mental health issues.
Cell phone video shows the moments leading up to Dillan Tabares' death, reported around 9:40 a.m. in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven at 6012 Edinger Avenue.
In one of two videos, Tabares appears to swing at the Huntington Beach police officer and the two wrestle and fall to the ground. Another angle shows Tabares appear to grab something from the officer's waistband. Seconds later, the officer opens fire seven times, killing Tabares.
The victim's mother, Tiffany Tabares, was at the scene grieving with loved ones Sunday evening.
She said her son received a less-than-honorable discharge from the Navy and she's looking for answers.
"I don't know what happened in the very beginning. I wish I had full video of everything that happened, as painful as it is to watch. I just want to know what happened. I want to know what the truth is. I don't have an agenda of, you know, 'Cops are horrible.' I respect them, I appreciate them. I just think that mistakes were made and I don't think my kid needed to be shot seven times," she said, adding that her prayers are not only for her son but also for the officer.
"I truly, truly hope that the officer isn't horrified by what did, but then, I don't know, I just hope he's not ruined for his days too because I don't know you can go through something like that and not have it be extremely traumatic for him," she continued.
"I'm just hoping there wasn't ill intention in it. I think there was a mistake that was made and I pretend like I'm not standing here where that happened and where he fell and then I can keep going for a little while."
The Huntington Beach police chief has defended the acts of the officer involved in the shooting.