Review Board says Delano Sheriff Shooting of 16 Year Old Latino Boy Justified

A Sheriff's Shooting Review Board weighed in on the officer involved shooting death of a Delano teenager. Justified is the word from the Shooting Review Board Thursday night. Manuel Ayon, 16, was shot and killed just feet away from his Delano home. Sheriffs officials said Ayon was driving a stolen car and led deputies on an hour long police chase.

It ended when officials said Ayon crashed and then backed into a Sheriffs deputy. The deputy fired at Ayon and missed. Gunshots rang out a second time after Ayon took off and stopped again. Officials said a deputy saw Ayon reach for something on the floor of the car and that's when the second deputy fired, killing the teenager. No weapon was ever found in the car.

The Shooting Review Board said both deputy Doug Jauch and Deputy Ubaldo Weiss were acting within department guidelines. Ayon's family said he was running from deputies because he had served time before and was scared. Throughout the investigation they claimed he did not have a gun. The deputies involved in the shooting were both cleared to go back to work. [MORE]