Walnut Creek mayor, police outline review after officer-involved shooting that killed a resident

Mayor Kevin Wilk opened Tuesday’s Walnut Creek City Council meeting by announcing a resident died after an officer-involved shooting in a local neighborhood and asking Police Chief Ryan Hibbs to brief the council.

Chief Ryan Hibbs said the incident occurred just after midnight last Thursday after officers responded to a report of a person looking into homes and parked vehicles and encountered an individual they reasonably believed was holding a handgun. Officers issued repeated commands to drop the weapon that were not followed, and the officers fired. The weapon was later determined to be a pellet gun. The person who died was identified in the meeting as Tony Pereira.

Hibbs said both officers involved have been placed on administrative leave and that both were wearing body-worn cameras that were activated during the incident. He said the Walnut Creek Police Department is conducting an administrative review while the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a parallel, independent investigation under the county's fatal-incident protocol.

"We will release the video [and] 911 calls as required by California law and investigative timelines," Hibbs told the council, noting department policy and state law allow up to 45 days for release but that the department will publish recordings "as soon as possible." He added that the department remains committed to transparency, due process and maintaining community trust.

Mayor Wilk called the shooting a tragedy for the deceased's family and the community and asked residents for patience with the investigative process. He said the council will continue to support independent reviews and urged respect for the family and for investigators.

The council did not take any policy actions on the shooting during the meeting; Hibbs said he would provide additional information "as legally permitted." The chief also said the department is focused on officer wellness and community wellbeing while the investigations proceed.

The council meeting included a public communications period later in the evening during which residents raised mental-health concerns and asked the city to strengthen crisis-response options; city officials noted those separate issues would be handled through behavioral health and police follow-up.