OXNARD, Calif. — State legal authorities have formally cleared an Oxnard police officer of criminal wrongdoing following a exhaustive three-year independent investigation into a fatal 2023 shooting triggered by a mental health crisis, officials announced Tuesday.
Click here to view the official Oxnard Police Department Facebook announcement or read the complete California Department of Justice AB 1506 report regarding the 2023 officer-involved shooting.
The comprehensive clearance findings were released by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) under California Assembly Bill 1506, which mandates independent state oversight and prosecutorial review whenever a law enforcement officer uses lethal force resulting in the death of an unarmed or questionable civilian.
According to official determination documents issued by the California Attorney General's Office, investigators concluded that Oxnard Police Officer Manuel Garcia acted in objectively reasonable self-defense when he discharged his service weapon during a violent confrontation with 24-year-old Oxnard resident Michael Owens.
Oxnard Police Department has also released the critical incident report on youtube.
Initial Emergency Dispatch and Rapid Escalation
The fatal encounter originated shortly after midnight on April 28, 2023, when Ventura County 911 dispatchers received emergency calls regarding a man experiencing a severe psychological episode near the Ventura County Rescue Mission on East Sixth Street.
Dispatch records show Owens himself called 911 at 12:04 a.m., stating he was "not doing too good" and requested paramedic assistance. Oxnard Fire Department Engine 63 and Gold Coast Ambulance medical crews responded to a multi-family apartment facility located at 235 East 7th Street, directly adjacent to the Rescue Mission.
Upon arrival, firefighter-paramedics encountered Owens on the second-floor exterior walkway. Witnesses and emergency responders reported that Owens was agitated, hallucinating, making nonsensical religious statements, and actively cutting his own wrists with a folding knife.
When firefighters attempted to negotiate with Owens, he threw patio furniture down the stairwell and barricaded himself inside a communal bathroom. Fearing for crew safety, Fire Captain Adam Strong requested immediate police assistance, upgrading the call to an emergency "Code 3" response.
Stairwell Confrontation and Multi-Stage Shooting Incident
Oxnard Police Officer Manuel Garcia arrived on scene at 12:20 a.m. and was briefed by fire personnel that Owens was armed with a knife and actively bleeding.
Officer Garcia climbed the southern exterior staircase to the second-floor landing to establish visual contact and attempt de-escalation. According to body-worn camera (BWC) footage and witness statements, Officer Garcia spoke calmly to Owens, requesting that he step out without weapons so paramedics could treat his severe wrist wounds.
At 12:22 p.m., Owens exited the bathroom and rapidly advanced down the narrow walkway toward Officer Garcia, holding a three-inch folding knife in his right hand.
As Owens closed the distance, Officer Garcia drew his firearm, backed against the stairwell railing with no path for retreat, and repeatedly commanded Owens to stop and drop the weapon. When Owens continued advancing to within 19 feet, Officer Garcia fired a seven-round volley in 1.8 seconds.
Owens collapsed to the deck, dropping the knife. Officer Garcia held his position and ordered Owens three times not to reach for the weapon.
Seconds later, Owens stood back up and lunged at Officer Garcia, grabbing the officer's uniform and extending his hand toward Garcia's service pistol while shouting, "Give me your gun, give me your gun, you little bitch."
During the physical struggle along the balcony railing, Officer Garcia used his left hand to block Owens while firing two additional rounds at point-blank range. Owens fell to the ground and was disarmed.
Emergency medical personnel immediately provided trauma care at the scene before transporting Owens to Ventura County Medical Center. Owens was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and pronounced brain dead on April 29, 2023. An autopsy confirmed he sustained five gunshot wounds.
"Based upon the investigation and review of evidence along with the applicable statutes, legal principles, and subsequent analysis, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of Officer Manuel Garcia. Therefore, no further action will be taken in this case," state prosecutors declared in the official DOJ report.
"Officer Garcia could reasonably have perceived that the use of lethal force was necessary to protect himself and the other first responders at the scene... It cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer's use of force was unlawful," the report added.
AB 1506 Review, Policy Recommendations, and Reforms
Because Owens dropped his knife following the first volley of gunfire and was physically unarmed during the second physical struggle over the firearm, the California Police Shooting Investigation Team (CaPSIT) assumed primary jurisdiction under AB 1506 protocols.
While state prosecutors closed the criminal inquiry without charges, the DOJ Police Practices Section issued three specific operational recommendations for the Oxnard Police Department:
- Crisis Training: Continue expanding mental health crisis intervention training for all patrol staff.
- Tactical Disengagement: Enhance tactical disengagement protocols to improve officer and public safety during behavioral health calls.
- Body-Worn Camera Muting: Implement stricter policy rules and supervisory controls regarding body-worn camera muting functions.
Oxnard Police Department officials confirmed they concur with the state's findings. Following the 2023 incident, Oxnard PD proactively retained the OIR Group, an independent law enforcement consulting firm, to audit its crisis response protocols and revised its body-worn camera policies to severely restrict audio muting.
The DOJ commended Oxnard PD for implementing proactive policy updates prior to the release of the state report.
Members of the public can review the complete evidentiary case file, body-worn camera footage, and administrative documentation on the Oxnard Police Department Official Newsroom or watch video footage via the [suspicious link removed]. Additional state legislative overview is available through the California Attorney General Main Portal. Media inquiries can be directed to Commander Dale McAlpine at (805) 385-7619 or Dale.McAlpine@oxnardpd.org.