Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have booked 49 year old Jose Juan Piz into the Fresno County Jail.
He faces multiple felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon and threatening violence upon a peace officer, along with weapons possession and vandalism. His bail is set at $135,000.
Around 12:00 pm on Monday, a worker performing a service along the 3300 block of Beran Way (W. Central & S. Valentine area of Fresno), saw a man, later identified as Jose Piz, holding a machete, acting strange. The worker called Sheriff's dispatchers to have deputies contact the man. To avoid potential problems, the worker drove away. While doing so, Piz chased after the worker and struck his vehicle with the machete multiple times.
The suspect retreated to the area he originally came from, went behind a fence and retrieved an axe to go along with his machete. Deputies arrived and contacted Piz as he was swinging the weapons. He refused the deputies commands to drop the axe and machete and began to challenge them. Deputies fired less lethal bean bags at Piz, but they were ineffective. Piz lunged toward deputies and one fired his gun, striking him in the leg. Deputies gave Piz medical treatment until an ambulance arrived and transported him to the hospital.
No deputies or citizens were injured.
Sheriff's homicide detectives and investigators with the Fresno County District Attorney's Office are now conducting a full investigation into this deputy involved shooting.
Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to please contact Detective Rudy Tafoya at (559) 600-8207 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867, www.valleycrimestoppers.org You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
