The quiet streets of Simi Valley were disrupted on Tuesday, July 22, 2026, by a series of events that culminated in a tragic confrontation between police and a 37-year-old man. The incident, which began with a domestic violence call, escalated into a high-speed pursuit and ultimately ended in a fatal shooting. This article delves into the sequence of events that unfolded throughout the day, providing a comprehensive overview of the situation.
The day started with a distress call around 8:15 a.m. in the 2500 block of Dusan Avenue. Officers responded to a reported domestic violence incident, only to find that the suspect had already fled the scene. Preliminary investigations revealed probable cause to arrest the man for domestic battery and elder abuse. The situation took a dangerous turn when police learned that the suspect was reportedly armed and had threatened to ‘shoot it out’ with officers if they were called.
The Pursuit and the Crash
Several hours later, at approximately 1:35 p.m., officers spotted the suspect driving near the Simi Valley Town Center. Attempts to stop the vehicle were met with resistance as the suspect fled, sparking a chase that would ultimately end near the original location on Dusan Street. The pursuit came to a violent halt when the suspect’s pickup truck collided with a parked police motorcycle and a nearby home.
Video footage obtained by Eyewitness News captured the intense moments leading up to the crash. The white pickup truck, with apparent bullet holes in the windshield, was followed closely by police officers. The officers, who were right behind the two vehicles, jumped out of their patrol units and aimed their guns at the pickup truck, firing shots. A neighbor who witnessed the scene described the harrowing experience: ‘I was sitting in the house, heard a bunch of sirens and came outside to see. All of a sudden, I see this cop car come from down that street, swing around down Fitzgerald to the left, and then all I heard was pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. Then I grabbed my daughter, ran back inside, and as I was running back inside, I heard a few more pops.’
The Aftermath and Ongoing Investigations
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and no officers were injured in the altercation. The investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing, with the Simi Valley Police Department and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office conducting a criminal investigation. The department’s Professional Standards Bureau will also conduct a separate administrative investigation. Per department policy, all involved officers have been placed on administrative leave until further notice.
Lewis Barajas, a 67-year-old resident of Talbert Avenue, was in his home when he heard the sirens and the sounds of a police pursuit outside. He later heard a flurry of gunshots close by. ‘I’ve never heard so much gunshots in my life,’ he said. The area, near Crestview Elementary School and Sycamore Park, was cordoned off with several police cars and police tape blocking off Dusan Street from public access between Talbert Avenue and Ashford Street as of 7 p.m.
This incident marks the second shooting by Simi Valley police officers in less than a month. On July 2, officers responded to a domestic violence call around 1:30 a.m. on Clover Street, where a 46-year-old man attempted to kill his wife. The suspect was taken to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, where he was shot by a Simi Valley police officer following an altercation that day.
Anyone with information regarding the original domestic violence incident or the events that followed is encouraged to contact the Simi Valley Police Department Major Crimes Unit at (805) 583-6950.
