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Death video ignites controversy

December 13, 2012

A graphic video showing a Manteca police officer firing 11 bullets into the body of a parolee has unleashed a heated controversy in the Central California town following the video’s release by attorneys for the man’s family. [San Francisco Chronicle, see the video]

Ernesto Duenez, 34, was being taken into custody for alleged domestic abuse, and reportedly exited his pickup truck with a small knife in his hands. The video was captured by a recorder in Officer James Moody’s vehicle, and showed the entire incident. Moody called out several times for the man to drop the knife before opening fire. A knife was later found in his truck.

Duenez’s family has filed a wrongful lawsuit against the city and police department. Moody fired 13 shots in 4.3 seconds, hitting Duenez 11 times. Entry wounds can be seen entering his back as he rolled on the ground. Duenez’s attorney said the man made no threatening moves.

The day before the video was released publicly, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office cleared Moody of any wrongdoing.


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Not just the officer’s safety was at issue, if the knife-wielding parolee had made it into the home, then children could possibly be in danger, or a hostage situation could develop.


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Read the mean-spirited, violence-tinged comments below and you will find the same spark of evil that set off Adam Lanza on his killing spree in Connecticut. Where and when will those sparks ignite in SLO County? With the type of hatred preached so arrogantly in this forum, we know it is only a matter of time.


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I think it is reasonable to beleive that an on duty police officer has a loaded gun and is trained to effectively use it. If a person attempts to assault an officer of the law with a brick or a blade, you know what to expect. Understandibly the officer has to think about his personal safety, the need to come home to his family and the grave costs to fall in the line of duty.


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This is a horrible incident. No one did the right thing. Seems like one shot would have been enough to gain control over a knife, talk about “over kill”.


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13 shots 11 hits in 4.3 seconds, nice trigger control but in my opinion the officer acted to quickly, he should have retreated to a point of cover like the rest of us have to do before we defend ourselves.


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This just proves that the old saying is true!


“Never bring a knife to a gun fight”.


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Thankfully, that officer gets to return to his family safe. I was not there, this whole thing could have been avoided if Mr Duenez would have not abused someone in his family and not had a knife in his hand.


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We’ll remember that when someone close to you does something foolish and then an officer arresting them mistakes their cell phone for a weapon and shoots them. We’ll just say “they should not have broken the law and should not have held their phone suspiciously.”


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I don’t believe that anyone in my family is STUPID enough to get out of the car with anything in their hand and even if they were that STUPID, I’m sure they’d be smart enough to drop it when warned to “several” times. If this idiot had simply done as he was told, he’d be alive today.


This low life wan’t holding a phone, he had a KNIFE and didn’t obey the officers commands to drop it. He, being a parolee, was no stranger to commands given by officers, both street cops and correctional staff so he should have known the probable outcome of his disobediance.


He deserved exactly what he got and the only person I have any sympathy for is the officer and what he/she has had to go through since the shooting.


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