Deputy Faces Voluntary Manslaughter Charge After Shooting
STANISLAUS COUNTY (CBS13) — The San Joaquin County District Attorney's office has filed a felony voluntary manslaughter charge against a Stanislaus County Sheriff Deputy.
District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar wrote that the criminal charge is defined as the specific intent to kill a person under an honest but unreasonable belief in self-defense.
Salazar also released dash cam video of the shooting, showing 24-year-old deputy Justin Wall fire four shots at 46-year-old Evin Yadegar, after a police pursuit.
Yadegar was sought in a battery at the Hampton Inn on Feb. 26, 2017, and deputies attempted to pull her over. She led them on a chase to the city of Ripon. Yadegar stopped in a neighborhood off of Main Street. While she was stopped, one unit pulled in front of her, partially blocking her in, while a K-9 officer and another deputy approached from the driver's side.
Yadegar proceeded to try and drive away when Wall stepped toward the vehicle and fired four shots into the driver's side window.
None of the deputies were in the path of her vehicle. No other deputy fired or had their weapons drawn when Wall opened fire.
A joint statement released by Yadegar's family and their attorney Stewart Tabak reads:
"We both value and respect the courageous decision which has been made, and the prosecution of Deputy Wall to which the DA's office is committed. We firmly believe that it was -- and is -- the absolute right conclusion to reach and the appropriate thing to do."
Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson issued a statement reading:
"This is a tragic event for the Yadegar family, Deputy Wall, the Sheriff's Office and our community."
"At this point, it is inappropriate for us to comment further. We are confident that our system of justice will determine the appropriate outcome."
The Stanislaus Sheriff's Department put Wall on administrative leave Monday, nearly 17 months after the shooting.
He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on July 30.
