Pubdate: Thu, 07 Sep 2000
Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA)
Copyright: 2000 The Fresno Bee
Contact:  http://www.fresnobee.com/man/opinion/letters.html
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Author: Pablo Lopez, The Fresno Bee
Note: Bee staff writer Louis Galvan contributed to this report.

POLICE SHOOTING SHOCKS FAMILY

Raisin City dairyman's family can't believe he was part of a drug deal.

The man killed Tuesday night during an undercover drug buy was a Raisin 
City dairyman who lived a simple life with his wife and children, say 
family and friends.

"We can't believe it," said Armando Jurado, a foreman at Fred Rau Dairy, 
where Isaias Alvarez, 51, worked for at least 25 years. "He was a hard 
worker and a good family man."

Fresno police said Wednesday three officers had no choice but to shoot 
Alvarez when he reached for a Colt .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol.

"The officers shouted, 'Police, police, put your hands where we can see 
them,'" Lt. John Fries said. "Instead, he Alvarez reached for his gun and 
the officers fired."

News of Alvarez's death stunned co-workers and brought tears to the eyes of 
his wife, Elena, and to those of his eight children. Relatives confirmed 
the pistol was registered to Alvarez, but contend he would never shoot a 
police officer with it.

"He's not stupid," said family spokesman Jose Betancourt, 22, a son-in-law. 
"Who's going to shoot a cop with a registered gun?"

Witnesses heard five to seven shots, but police and the Fresno County 
Coroner's Office won't say how many times Alvarez was struck.

"The police need to apologize for what they did," said the slain man's son, 
Pablo Alvarez, 22. "They shot him eight times. That's bull. That's overkill."

Betancourt and Pablo Alvarez also questioned the police investigation. If 
Isaias Alvarez was such a big time drug dealer, then why haven't officers 
searched his home?

"We have nothing to hide," Pablo Alvarez said. "We want a full investigation."

Fries said an investigation into the shooting is not completed and that the 
officers who fired their weapons are on paid administrative leave. Their 
names have not been released.

The District Attorney's Office is conducting a separate inquiry.

Though many details have not been made public, Fries did confirm Isaias 
Alvarez's pistol was loaded. It hasn't been determined whether he fired it, 
because an officer's bullet penetrated the magazine of Isaias Alvarez's 
pistol, exploding a cartridge and jamming the weapon.

Fries said 2 pounds of methamphetamine were recovered. Isaias Alvarez's 
suspected partner, Margarita Ortiz, 54, has been booked into jail on 
charges of possession for sales of methamphetamine.

The shooting happened in the parking lot of the Days Inn near Freeway 99 
and Jensen Avenue, south of Fresno.

Since the second week of August, undercover officers had been negotiating 
to purchase 2 pounds of methamphetamine, Fries said. Initially, the 
suspects wanted the drug buy "to take place in the boondocks." But 
narcotics officers wanted to avoid a potential ambush and chose the Days 
Inn site because it is well lighted and in an open space.

Around 8:45 p.m., Alvarez and Ortiz drove a gray Oldsmobile to meet 
undercover officers in back of the motel. When officers saw the drugs near 
Alvarez's feet, they signaled to six to 10 officers in an arrest team, 
Fries said. The team wore black raid vests identifying them as police 
officers. Ortiz, outside the car, was arrested without incident. Alvarez 
was shot inside the car as he reached for his pistol on the seat next to 
him, Fries said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A day later, Alvarez's friends and relatives talked openly about a man who 
loved his family, his job and gardening.

An unmarked dirt road off Hayes Avenue leads to his home -- a doublewide, 
three-bedroom trailer where he owned three older model vehicles, raised 
chickens and loved to plant apple trees.

Relatives confirmed Alvarez knew Ortiz, but said they weren't close 
friends. They said the Oldsmobile was not his.

Little is known about Ortiz, other than she once operated a restaurant in 
Caruthers. Efforts to find her family and friends have been unsuccessful.

At Fred Rau Dairy, co-workers said Isaias Alvarez worked as in irrigation 
specialist seven days a week.

"He was dependable and well-liked," Jurado said. "The reason we're 
surprised is because he made good money, enough money to buy a home and 
raise a family."

Alvarez went to work Tuesday, but during his shift, Ortiz came by and 
talked to him, co-workers said. Jurado waited for Alvarez to show up 
Wednesday, but soon learned that he was dead.

"We are like family here," Jurado said. "He was a good friend and we're 
going to miss him."

Bee staff writer Louis Galvan contributed to this report.