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Morro Bay officer explains why he shot burglary suspect

March 24, 2016
Officer Dale Cullum

Officer Dale Cullum

A Morro Bay police officer who shot a burglary suspect in the leg last October testified Wednesday that he feared for his life at the time. The officer shot the suspect after the man attacked him with a 4-foot stick. [Tribune]

On Oct. 30, Alec Bryan Stephenson, 20, allegedly broke into the Good Flea 2nd Hand Store on Quintana Road. Witnesses of the alleged burglary said Stephenson was making statements about “reclaiming some of God’s property.”

Stephenson fled by bicycle to Morro Rock. Officer Dale Cullum, who was driving a patrol SUV, caught up with Stephenson and bumped the suspect’s bicycle. Stephenson fell to the ground.

At a court hearing Wednesday, Cullum testified that his seat belt got stuck as he was trying to get out of the vehicle. Stephenson struck him hard in the head while he was stuck in the vehicle, Cullum said.

When Cullum got out of the vehicle, he drew his handgun. Stephenson was about five feet away and advancing while Cullum ordered him to stop and drop the stick, Cullum testified.

Cullum fired two shots, and one bullet hit Stephenson in the leg.

The officer testified that prior to shooting Stephenson he had blood streaming down his face and was disoriented. I just had the shit knocked out of me, and I wanted to go home and not to the hospital or somewhere else, Cullum said. I did not want to die.

A San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office investigator interviewed Stephenson at the hospital. The investigator testified that Stephenson said he was trying to stab Cullum in the face and that the police bumped him off his bicycle and he was going to kill them.

Both the city of Morro Bay and the DA’s Office cleared Cullum of wrongdoing.

Stephenson spent one day in the hospital following the shooting. In December, he was declared mentally incompetent and sent to Atascadero State Hospital, but Stephenson’s competency was restored earlier this month.

The defendant is charged with assault on an officers, battery with injury and second-degree commercial burglary. A judge ruled there is enough evidence for Stephenson to stand trial on the charges.


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Once again we have our group of experts who tell us exactly how they would act when faced with a life or death situation. How they would plan, strategize and then implement their great plan. All of this would happen within a nano-second while taking a full on whack to the forehead while belted in their car with a seat belt.


I daresay that every single person here who criticizes how others react in a life/death situation, are people who have never experienced that kind of situation. Anyone who has would know better than to criticize how others react.


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I’ve never seen a cop wear a seatbelt in a patrol car, this is one reason why.


I cannot BELIEVE people are defending the perp. The cop didn’t run him over, he knocked him down. Totally acceptable to make an arrest of a fleeing felon (burglary is a felony). Then the guy comes at him with a stick, cracks him in the head, and THAT’s not enough?!? Deadly force was not used, but clearly justified. Getting hit with a blunt object can easily kill.


That said, painting this as a homeless issue is absurd. This guy is probably psychotic, which is why he’s homeless, not the other way around.


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The officer had problems getting out of his car, now that is a first. Good thing this was not a situation where somebodies life was on the line and they needed that officer to come to their aid.


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This kid was lucky that this officer only shot him in the leg. This could have been much worst for both the officer, doing his job of serve and protect, and the criminal thief. Was this person another member of our upstanding homeless, the article did not state.


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Add a new method to death by cop: run down bicyclists with their suvs. Somehow, somebody trying to reclaim some of God’s property doesn’t deserve the abuse this guy got. An appropriate penalty for petty theft is neither death by suv nor being shot.


Why didn’t the cop just drive away and call for backup?


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By the way. The story didn’t mention that Alec Bryan Stepenson is another of our best and brightest “homeless” population here on the Central Coast.


Obviously the guy was dangerous enough to go after a cop swinging a piece of wood and strike him in the head.


Declared incompetent for trial so I guess he’ll be spending some time at ASH.


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As a law abiding citizen of Morro Bay, I fully support the Officer in protecting himself!

Those that want to vilify the Police should try living in a Country without them.


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i dont feel safe with muccullem, whose high school GPA was 1.98 on the beat.


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As a resident of Morro Bay I am glad our police officer wasn’t hurt worse. We treasure our ‘safe’ quality of life here and appreciate every minute of every day the Police Chief, Amy Christey and her staff that watches over our City. I am saddened to read about ‘assults, attempted car jackings’ and the like in other Cities (SLO), as I like to drive around and shop in different areas. I feel confident that I can go to the super market, and our downtown area without fear. We have the best police force in the world and I support them and officer Cullum. We are grateful, to be able to live here and feel protected. worse.


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Sounds good to me. Stop wasting time and taxpayer money trying to protect scumbags.


Deadly force was justified. He only shot him in the leg.


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This worked out well but, I think the officer was the disoriented one if he completely missed once and hit the bad guys leg with the second shot from FIVE feet away!


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He had just taken a blow to the head with a 2×4. That will disorient a person.


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