34-Year-Old Jesse Dominguez Fatally Shot by California Highway Patrol Officer on Los Angeles Freeway

A 34-year-old man was fatally shot by a California Highway Patrol officer on Sunday after being spotted walking on an interstate with a stun gun. The man, identified as Jesse Dominguez, died at a hospital following the confrontation. The cause of his death has not yet been disclosed. The name of the officer involved in Sunday’s shooting has also not been disclosed.

Dominguez’s stepmother, Akasha Dominguez, expressed her family’s shock and grief over his “unnecessary death.” She stated that they are still trying to process the incident and called it a difficult time for the family. They are currently focused on mourning the loss of their son, brother, and friend.

The incident took place in Los Angeles County on Interstate 105, which had been shut down due to reports of a man walking on the freeway. Video footage circulating on social media shows the officer struggling with Dominguez before shooting him at close range. The highway patrol reported that Dominguez had used the stun gun on the officer, prompting the use of lethal force.

According to Ed Obayashi, a former California police officer and sheriff’s deputy who specializes in use-of-force cases, the officer may have viewed the stun gun as a grave threat. Obayashi explained that a stun gun can cause immediate danger to anyone and potentially result in an officer losing their weapon. However, he questioned why the officer approached Dominguez alone when the freeway had been cleared and no immediate danger was apparent.

“The problem is if I got distance between an individual with a stun gun and myself, then there’s an opportunity to de-escalate, an opportunity to retreat,” Obayashi said. He also noted the presence of multiple law enforcement officers at the scene, raising the question of why the officer chose to approach Dominguez alone.

The incident is now under investigation, and authorities will likely examine the officer’s actions and decision-making process.