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Man accused of domestic violence fatally shot by Santa Rosa police
Man, 20, shot dead by Santa Rosa police after running out of home with gun toward officers, authorities say.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Santa Rosa police killed a domestic violence suspect Thursday after an hours-long standoff, authorities said.
Family members identified the man as Matteo Santos, 20, and said he was needlessly killed.
"They're killing young kids, and it's not right. My family's destroyed, my house's destroyed," Gary Poffenholz, whose 19-year-old daughter was Santos' girlfriend, told KTVU through tears. He said the couple had a 2-month-old daughter together.
Police said the suspect emerged from a home armed with a weapon, prompting a Santa Rosa SWAT officer to fatally shoot him.
Police called to investigate domestic violence
What we know:
The incident began at about 10 p.m. Wednesday when authorities and Poffenholz said Santos hit his girlfriend. Police were called to Poffenholz's home on Keegan Drive near Gardner Avenue.
She and her father left the home, but Santos barricaded himself inside.
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"As soon as the officers got here, they tried to engage in conversation with the suspect," said Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Juan Valencia.
Standoff lasts for hours
What they're saying:
Police hostage negotiators arrived at the scene, but Valencia said the suspect did not want to come out.
"That lasted for over six hours, and at that time the suspect ran out of the residence with what appeared to be a weapon at the officers, and there was an officer-involved shooting at that time," Valencia said.
Poffenholz said the shooting happened at about 5 a.m. Thursday, not long after police sent tear gas and flash-bang grenades into the home.
"He immediately ran out with his hands up, and they blew him away. They shot him four times," Poffenholz said.
He said Santos was also accused of domestic violence against his daughter last week.
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"I was upset, but he came and apologized to me. He looked me in my eye and said he wouldn't do it again, and I believed him," Poffenholz said. "It doesn't deserve the Santa Rosa police to murder him."
Tracy Santos, Santos' adoptive aunt, told KTVU, "He was always a kind soul."
She said of police tactics, "There had to have been a different manner to deal with it."
The incident is under investigation by the sheriff's office and prosecutors.
"We know that domestic violence incidents are one of the most dangerous incidents because there’s a lot of emotions, a lot of anger towards people, and especially when law enforcement shows up," Valencia said.
This is the second domestic violence case to end in a deadly shooting in Santa Rosa this week.
On Monday, Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Lyle shot and killed himself after fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend, who was also a sheriff's employee.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: KTVU reporting, Santa Rosa police, Sonoma County sheriff's office