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Home My WebLink AboutSCENE REPORT INV R. TAFT 21-032545.001_RedactedNARRATIVE Scene Report: Orange County Crime Lab Personnel: Senior Forensic Specialist 320 N. Flower St Santa Ana, CA 92703 Lead Forensic Specialist 320 N. Flower St Santa Ana, CA 92703 Forensic Scientist III 9 320 N. Flower St Santa Ana, CA 92703 Senior Forensic Specialist 320 N. Flower St Narrative: On Saturday 9/25/21 at about 1600 hours, I received notification from my Supervisor, Sgt. A. Abdelmuti #5458, directing me to report to 265 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, in the area of Life Guard Tower #3 reference an Officer Involved Shooting investigation. Upon arrival, there was a briefing conducting by Sgt. Pham #1183 with the Huntington Beach Police Department detailing the circumstances regarding the Officer Involved Shooting and what was known at this point. After the briefing, Sgt. Abdelmuti assigned me to assist with the crime scene investigation. I was accompanied by Detective J. Pena #1190 of the Huntington Beach Police Department throughout this portion of the investigation. The area of 265 Pacific Coast Highway, Lifeguard Tower #3 is located in an area encompassed by the Huntington Beach Pier to the north, the Beach Public Services Center building to the south, Dukes Restaurant to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. All times, measurements and distances referenced in this narrative are approximate. For a more detailed and specific documentation of the scene, refer to the scene sketch completed by Orange County Crime Lab personnel. The scene of the incident was located on the sand, about 25-30 yards west of the public paved pedestrian/bicycle path the runs parallel to the beach in a north/south direction. Slightly to the west of the paved path, there was a temporary wooden walkway placed on top of the beach sand that ran to the west A copy of the "true" original shall be obtained and released by Records Division Page 1 of 3 Printed by Inform RMS System Account on 10/22/2021 08:54 COPY DR #: 21-032545 Reporting Area: Homicide SUPPLEMENT from the paved path. This wooden path lead to a vender/sales tent operated by the Huntington Beach Surf and Sport retail business. From the vendor tent, the temporary wooden walkway turned to the south and paralleled the paved pedestrian/bicycle path approximately 10- 15 yards to the west. Between the north/south temporary walkway and the paved pedestrian/bicycle pathway, there was a short cinderblock type wall about two feet in height. Adjacent the wooden walkway on the west side, there had been temporary wood and blue colored glass “pylons” erected that memorialized prior surfing champions. This incident occurred during the US Open of Surfing event that was scheduled in Huntington Beach, which necessitated the erected temporary sales venues, walkway and commemorative “pylons” present at the scene. The above noted members from the Orange County Crime Lab (OCCL) along with myself and Detective Pena conducted a preliminary walkthrough of the scene. It was noted there were what appeared to be expended shell casings marked with yellow paper within the scene perimeter along with a central location where the decedent had received medical treatment prior to having been transported to the hospital. The members of the OCCL component, processed the scene, took photographs, completed a sketch and collected evidence. Items of note that were collected from the scene included, but were not limited to the following: 1) Several expended 9mm shell casings 2) One blue t-shirt with a white colored drawing on the front 3) One white sleeveless t-shirt with a small blue colored logo 4) One blue and white bandana 5) One black semi-automatic handgun. 6) One expended .40 caliber shell casing 7) Several expended bullets I also noted within the inner perimeter there were five vehicles present and noted as follows: 1) A red All-Terrain type vehicle marked with “Huntington Beach Police” (no license plate) 2) A red Toyota Tacoma style pickup with marked white lettering showing “Huntington Beach Fire Lifeguard” with a unit #10 and a CA Exempt license plate of 3) A red Toyota Tacoma style pickup with marked white lettering showing “Huntington Beach Fire Lifeguard” with a unit #19 and a CA Exempt license plate of 4) A red Toyota Tacoma style pickup with marked white lettering showing “Huntington Beach Fire Lifeguard” with a unit #12 and a CA Exempt license plate of 5) A red Toyota Tacoma style pickup with marked white lettering showing “Huntington Beach Fire Lifeguard” with a unit #22 and a CA Exempt license plate of Also located within the inner perimeter were several items of medical equipment that wereused by Lifeguard rescue personnel while rendering medical air to the decedent. These items were documented and left on scene for collection by Lifeguard personnel. I collected a red colored hard shell case that said “Heartstart Defibrillator” that contained what appears to be a grey “Phillips” brand defibrillator belonging to “Huntington Beach Lifeguards.” I personally retained possession of this equipment for a later download of the relevant information regarding its use. See Supplemental report under this DR# regarding the download of this equipment. I assisted OCCL personnel in collecting the black handgun located at the scene. Upon initial inspection, I noted the weapon was lying on its right side, on top of what appeared to be a white t-shirt, with the ejection port facing downwards. I also noted the weapon appeared to be “out of battery” and the upper slide of the weapon was stuck in a partially open fashion, giving the appearance the weapon had malfunctioned in some way. A copy of the "true" original shall be obtained and released by Records Division Page 2 of 3 Printed by Inform RMS System Account on 10/22/2021 08:54 COPY DR #: 21-032545 Reporting Area: Homicide SUPPLEMENT Upon closer inspection, the weapon was identified as a Sig Sauer model SP2340 serial# I initially removed the magazine from the weapon and noted the magazine was loaded with unexpended rounds. I noted there was also a live round contained within the chamber of the weapon that was visible due to the slide being partially open. I manipulated the upper slide, locked it open and removed the unfired round from the chamber. I noted the round was a .40 caliber type handgun round with a silver casing and the primer on the back of the round did not bear any strike marks. I turned over the weapon, the unexpended round and the magazine to the OCCL personnel for collection and documentation. After collecting the weapon, the white t-shirt was collected and photographed. It appeared the white t-shirt had two distinct “scorch marks” and holes in the shirt. Based on my training and experience, these scorch marks and holes are indicative of the handgun in question having been fired, possibly with the t-shirt over the muzzle at the time it had been fired. Based on this finding, a search was conducted of the area in an attempt to locate any evidence of the decedent having fired the handgun. Inv. J Larson #1377, located what he believed to be a bullet impact or strike mark along the short cinder block wall that runs in a north/south direction that was about 10 yards to the east of where the decedent had fallen, between the scene and the paved pedestrian/bicycle pathway. Upon closer inspection, there appeared to be metal fragments in the sand about 12 inches to the west of the cinderblock wall. The strike mark and the metal fragments were photographed and collected by OCCL personnel. To possibly gather additional evidence, OCSD Reserve Deputies J. Saddler #3952 and T. Evans #10778 were dispatched to the scene with a handheld metal detector. Deputies Saddler and Evans arrived on scene at about 2215 hours and began to search the scene with the metal detector to try and locate any additional evidence that may have been concealed in the sand. In proximity to Evidence item marker #12, Deputies Saddler and Evans successfully located several expended bullets. These bullets were photographed, documented and collected by OCCL personnel. In proximity to Evidence item marker #9, Deputies Saddler and Evans located what appeared to be a silver colored expended .40 caliber shell casing, similar in appearance to those recovered from the black Sig Sauer located on scene. This expended shell casing was photographed, documented and collected by OCCL personnel. No additional casings or expended bullets were recovered. All of the evidence collected on scene was booked by OCCL personnel. I contacted Sheriff’s Teletype and had the Sig Sauer documented as a collected evidence item and also a weapon used in the commission of a crime (CPC 664/187) Upon completion of the evidence collection and processing of the scene, it was turned over to Huntington Beach Police personnel at about 2300 hours for final disposition. For additional details, see additional Supplemental Reports under this DR#, Forensic Science Reports FR# 21-052599, Coroner Case# 21-05698-TA and Huntington Beach Police Report # 21-012353. INVOLVEMENT TYPE OFFICER NAME BODY WORN CAMERA DATE Supplementing Officer R . Taft 03201 ¨9/28/2021 Approving Officer A . Abdelmuti 05458 ¨10/15/2021 A copy of the "true" original shall be obtained and released by Records Division Page 3 of 3 Printed by Inform RMS System Account on 10/22/2021 08:54 COPY DR #: 21-032545 Reporting Area: Homicide SUPPLEMENT