Man shot and killed by Fontana police inside Home Depot was having mental breakdown, family says

The family of the father of four, who was shot and killed by Fontana police last week, claim their relative was suffering from a mental health crisis when officers shot and killed him inside a Home Depot.

At a crowded vigil, Marcus Camacho's family remembered the 36-year-old as loving but troubled — plagued by depression and mental illness. His brother claimed Camacho had a breakdown last Monday. The family called the Fontana Police Department for help, as they had many times before.

"We repeatedly tried to get help for him, asking the police department for weeks to try to get him help," brother Nicholas Camacho said. "Each time, they just pushed us away or said there's nothing they could do about it. They didn't want to deal with the situation. They would take him, drop him off down the block."

Fontana police said they initially heard about Camacho when people reported a man trying to get hit by a car outside the Home Depot. His brother said Fontana police did not call for mental health professionals to help them and escalated the situation. 

"We just want justice for my brother," his brother said. "If they would have took him, held him, he would be, right now, in the hospital getting help."

Camacho's brother said they should have known who they were dealing with, as they had arrested the 36-year-old father the night before after his family said he was a risk to himself and others.

By the morning, police had released him. Hours later, Camacho was dead. 

"They did arrest him, and they booked him," Camacho's brother said. "Then just released him ...I just really hope the police department steps up and does better for the next person out there that cries for help."

The department said they tried to de-escalate the situation and deployed a taser before shooting Camacho, who armed himself with an "edged weapon." It was not effective. The family started a GoFundMe to help Camacho's four children.