Pursuant to the provisions of the San Joaquin County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Protocol, effective August 1, 1994, the responsibility of the Office of the District Attorney is to review the facts and determine what, if any, criminal charges should be filed whenever there is an officer-involved fatality or life- threatening incident.

This memorandum reviews the officer-involved shooting of Jose Feliciano on February 15, 2017. The investigation was jointly conducted by investigators from the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Investigation Unit, the Manteca Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the San Joaquin County Sheriff- Coroner’s Office, and the California Department of Justice.

INVESTIGATION SUMMARY

On February 15, 2017, the California Highway Patrol and the Manteca Police Department were dispatched, separately, to a pedestrian, later identified as Jose Feliciano (DOB 2/03/59), walking along State Route 99 (Highway 99), in and out of traffic. California Highway Patrol Officer Christopher Allen arrived on scene and was able to stop traffic while he approached Mr. Feliciano. Mr. Feliciano was armed with a knife and refusing to comply with verbal commands. Subsequently, Manteca Police Department dispatched Officer Mitchell Ellis to provide assistance.

After Officer Ellis arrived, CHP Officer Allen used his TASER in an attempt to incapacitate Mr. Feliciano while MPD Officer Ellis provided lethal cover1. The TASER was activated twice and was ineffective. After the second time the TASER was discharged, Mr. Feliciano charged at Officer Ellis with his knife. Mr. Feliciano quickly closed the distance between he and Officer Ellis and Officer Ellis fired his service weapon three times, striking Mr. Feliciano.

Life saving measures were began and later taken over by paramedics. Mr. Feliciano was transported to San Joaquin County Hospital. On February 22, 2017, Mr. Feliciano succumbed to complications and died2.

The California Highway Patrol and Manteca Police Department invoked the protocol on February 15, 2017, and a multi-agency task force formed to investigate the lethal force by a police officer as provided by the Memorandum of Understanding for the San Joaquin County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Protocol. The task force consisted of the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office’s Bureau of Investigations (hereinafter “BOI”), the California Highway Patrol (hereinafter “CHP”), the Manteca Police Department (hereinafter “MPD”), the San Joaquin County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, and the California Department of Justice (hereinafter “DOJ”).

Please view the full findings in the document below.