UPDATE: Woman killed after pulling “replica handgun” on Redding officers ID’d

UPDATED: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 6:08 p.m.

Originally published: Sunday, Feb. 7, 1:15 p.m.

See Original Story, Photos, and Video below.

REDDING, Calif. — Coroner officials have identified a woman who was fatally shot after allegedly pulling out a “replica firearm” and pointing it at Redding police officers Sunday morning, Feb. 7.

The deadly shooting happened on the Cypress Avenue Bridge over the Sacramento River, between Park Marina Drive and Hartnell Avenue, after officers responded to reports of a man on the bridge waving a gun, Redding PD has since said of the fatal encounter.

LEADING THE SCNS HEADLINES:

Wanted for repeatedly burglarizing elderly victim’s home, Anderson man arrested

Anderson PD Chief expresses why he loves Shasta County and its residents

Mountain Gate woman shot during property dispute between roommates

Human remains discovered near Cottonwood, investigation continuing

Redding PD UAV and K-9 instrumental in apprehending wanted felon

When officers arrived they encountered two men and a woman on the bicycle and pedestrian sidewalk along the south side of the bridge, according to Redding PD has said that the trio “were initially cooperative.”

Radio traffic at the time indicated that within one minute of the contact shots had been fired.

As officials worked at the scene of Sunday morning’s shooting, a bicycle with a trailer loaded with personal belongings could be seen on the pedestrian section of the Cypress Avenue Bridge, just east of the pedestrian steps leading up to the overcrossing. An object that appeared to be a gun could be seen on the ground, surrounded by various personal belongings and medical equipment from life-saving efforts provided at the scene. Mike Daly photo

“As officers were communicating with them, the female retrieved a handgun from her waistband and quickly raised it up at which point three officers discharged their firearms,” RPD later explained.

The woman was struck multiple times by the officers’ gunfire and official radio traffic at the time indicated that officers immediately began attending to the woman’s injuries and had begun CPR.  

Despite life-saving measures and being rushed to Mercy Medical Center as a trauma alert, the woman, since identified 27-year-old, Brooke Leann Blair, of Redding, succumbed to her injuries and passed away.

During their subsequent investigation, officers learned the object Blair had pointed at them was a “replica handgun” and later explained, “it had no markings indicating it wasn’t real.”

The multi-agency investigation, which includes the Redding Police Department, Anderson Police Department, Shasta County Sheriffs Office, and Shasta County District Attorneys Office, is ongoing and anyone who may have witnessed this incident is asked to call the Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R008026 and can remain anonymous.

---

UPDATE: Woman who pulled “replica handgun” on Redding officers dead after officer-involved shooting

UPDATED: Sunday, Feb. 7, 5:24 p.m.

See Original Story, Photos, and Video below.

REDDING, Calif. — Officials have released additional information about a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred earlier this morning on the Cypress Avenue Bridge over the Sacramento River, between Park Marina Drive and Hartnell Avenue.

City of Redding police officers were dispatched to the bridge around 11:25 a.m., after receiving a 911 call from a passerby who reported seeing a man waving a gun in the air, Redding PD said in a social media release. The caller reported the man with the gun was accompanied by a woman.

When officers arrived in the area, they found two men and a woman on the bicycle and pedestrian sidewalk along the south side of the bridge.

“Upon officers’ arrival they contacted the three subjects who were initially cooperative,” officials wrote in their release. “As officers were communicating with them, the female retrieved a handgun from her waistband and quickly raised it up at which point three officers discharged their firearms.”

The woman was struck multiple times by the officers’ gunfire and official radio traffic at the time indicated that officers immediately began attending to the woman’s injuries and had begun CPR.  

“As officers were providing medical attention they also attempted to render the female’s firearm safe and found it to be a replica handgun with no markings indicating it wasn’t real,” added officials.

Despite life-saving measures and being rushed to an area hospital as a trauma alert, the woman later succumbed to her injuries and passed away.  

The two men were initially detained and no other firearms were located.

“The identity of the involved officers and female are not being released at this time,” officials explained; adding, “This incident is being investigated by the Redding Police Department, Anderson Police Department, Shasta County Sheriffs Office and Shasta County District Attorneys Office.”

The multi-agency investigation is ongoing and anyone who may have witnessed this incident is asked to call the Redding Police Department at (530) 225.4200.

---

Original Story: Officers remain at scene of Redding officer-involved shooting

UPDATED: Sunday, Feb. 7, 2:30 p.m., With additional details, photos from scene.

CORRECTION: Sunday, Feb. 7, 4:40 p.m.: Although initial reports from the scene indicated that the gun-wielding suspect shot was a man, that information has not been confirmed and other reports indicate the person shot was a female. As such, this article has been edited to indicate the victim’s gender is unknown at this time.

-TM

Originally published: Sunday, Feb. 7, 1:15 p.m.

REDDING, Calif. — Few details are have been confirmed and information is still trickling in after an officer-involved shooting in Redding earlier today, Sunday, Feb. 7. Although various reports from the scene indicated the person shot later died at the hospital, officials have not yet confirmed that information.

The shooting happened on the Cypress Avenue Bridge over the Sacramento River, between Park Marina Drive and Hartnell Avenue.

As of 2 p.m., authorities remained very active at the scene of the shooting and officials have shut down all traffic over the bridge as their investigation continues.

The incident started shortly before noon, Redding Police Captain Brian Barner has since reported.

Officers rushed to the scene of an officer-involved shooting that happened after a person reportedly pulled a gun on officers shortly before noon this morning. Mike Daly photo

Official radio traffic at the time indicated that around 11:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area after receiving reports of some type of disturbance. Passers-by who called 911 reported seeing several people on the Cypress Avenue Bridge with one of them possibly brandishing a gun. The caller immediately left the area and was not able to provide any further details.

When officers arrived at the bridge they reported seeing several people on the bicycle and pedestrian sidewalk along the south side of the bridge and said they were preparing to contact them.

Radio traffic indicated that barely one minute after arriving at the scene an officer called out that shots had been fired, at which time officers from around the city began converging on the area.

Barner later said one of the people on the bridge pulled a handgun and pointed it at officers, at which time three City of Redding police officers opened fire at the gun-wielding suspect.

After the shooting officers immediately began providing the person medical aid and summoned paramedics and an ambulance to the scene. They also reported that CPR was in progress and requested paramedics expedite their response to the location.

Paramedics and other emergency responders provided life-saving measures at the scene before rushing the person to an area hospital as a trauma alert.

As officials worked at the scene of this morning’s shooting, a bicycle with a trailer loaded with personal belongings could be seen on the pedestrian section of the Cypress Avenue Bridge, just east of the pedestrian steps leading up to the overcrossing. An object that appeared to be a gun could be seen on the ground, surrounded by various personal belongings and medical equipment from life-saving efforts provided at the scene. Mike Daly photo

While officials worked at the scene the alleged suspect’s belongings, including a bicycle with a trailer filled with sleeping bags, clothing, and other personal belongings, remained within the pedestrian section of the bridge. Various items – including what appeared to be a black handgun – could be seen scattered about the area behind the bike and trailer.

As of this update, the bridge remains closed and will continue to be closed for at least several hours until the initial on-scene investigation is concluded.

Citing the early and ongoing nature of the investigation, officers at the scene declined to provide any further details.

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.

---

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Mike Daly photos above, live-stream video below.

---

This article sponsored by:

For all the latest, often up to the minute coverage of Shasta County crimes, accidents, incidents and emergencies, along with traffic, travel, and weather alerts, community awareness posts, news articles and so much more, visit Redding Crime and Community Alert Shasta County on Facebook.

---

---

---

---

---

With breaking news articles, videos, podcasts, opinion pieces and more, Law Enforcement News Network has all the latest news and information related to law enforcement issues across the nation.

---

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.