Santa Cruz officer allegedly shot, killed man when his gun accidentally discharged
SALINAS (BCN/CBS SF) -- A 22-year-old Santa Cruz police officer allegedly killed another man with an accidental discharge of his personal firearm while preparing to clean it in Salinas on Friday, according to Salinas police.
Francisco Villicana reported the accidental discharge of his gun around 5:45 p.m. Friday in the 1500 block of Antelope Drive, where officers arrived to find Luis Alfredo Ferro-Sanchez, 20, suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso while Villicana had suffered a gunshot wound to his hand, police said.
Both men were taken to a hospital, where Ferro-Sanchez succumbed to his injuries.
Salinas police first released details of the case on Tuesday, and Santa Cruz police said they were planning to send out a statement about it later Tuesday.
According to Salinas police, Villicana was preparing to clean his gun when he discharged a single round that hit him in the hand and continued through it, striking Ferro-Sanchez in the torso. The case is under investigation and will be forwarded to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office for review, but Salinas police said it "appears to be a tragic accident."