A man who was reportedly disabled and may have used a wheelchair was shot and killed by law enforcement officers Monday night after what officials called a standoff at the man's home in the Yuba County foothills.
Yuba County Undersheriff Jerry Read said Brandon E. Barsnick, 30, was killed at a house in the 8600 block of Big Oak Valley Road, off Chuck Yeager Road, after pointing a rifle at SWAT team members.
The names and agencies of those responsible for the shooting were not provided.
On Tuesday, the driveway to the large home was taped off during an investigation. The Sutter County District Attorney's Office is leading the investigation of the shooting — that follows protocol in a cooperative agreement signed Dec. 3 by Yuba and Sutter counties. Yuba County District Attorney Patrick McGrath said his office has only one investigator, so the protocol provides resources he wouldn't otherwise have for these sorts of investigations.
In a prepared statement, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department said that the shooting occurred after the Yuba County Regional SWAT — including sheriff's deputies and Marysville police officers — responded to Barsnick's home at 9 p.m. to assist Nevada County sheriff's detectives serve a search warrant and an arrest warrant.
"Upon arrival, the team encountered the suspect outside on the porch of the residence. The man was armed with an assault rifle. A short standoff ensued," Read said.
He said Barsnick did not comply with SWAT members' orders.
"(He) pointed the rifle at team members and was fatally wounded by team members responding to the imminent, life- threatening situation," Read said.
The prepared statement did not mention whether Barsnick was in a wheelchair during the incident.
Scanner traffic the night of the incident indicated the man was to be life-flighted for medical treatment, but the helicopter had trouble landing due to weather.
Also heard over the scanner was discussion of the use of "flashbangs" while searching the residence. Yuba County Sheriff's Department did not provide information about those details.
This was the second fatal shooting involving Yuba County deputies this year. The first happened in July in Olivehurst when Billy Maine died.
It had been reported Barsnick was partially paralyzed in 2011 after falling from a tree while performing arborist work. In a recent incident in which Grass Valley officers were pursuing him as he drove a pickup truck, a wheelchair was observed in the back of his truck.
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office issued the search and arrest warrant after a reported shooting incident that allegedly involved Barsnick on Sunday night.
According to Sheriff Keith Royal, sheriff's deputies responded to a call at 9:41 p.m. that Barsnick had allegedly fired upon the caller after failing to get information from him about Barsnick's ex-wife and children.
The caller said Barsnick came to the residence in the 13000 block of Hidden Valley Road to inquire about the location of his estranged wife and two children. When asked to leave, Barsnick allegedly pulled out a gun and fired on the caller, Royal said.
The caller also stated Barsnick is known to be heavily-armed and "anti law-enforcement."
Nevada County court records indicate a criminal complaint was filed and an arrest warrant issued for Barsnick on Monday for a Nov. 16 incident in Grass Valley.
He was charged with evading a peace officer, willful disregard, assault upon a peace officer or firefighter and child endangerment after he led Grass Valley police on a pursuit.
Grass Valley police Lt. Steve Johnson said an officer had attempted to pull over a Dodge truck after it rolled through a red light without stopping.
"When the officer approached, the driver sped off," Johnson said.
Officers followed the vehicle through town with lights and sirens on and continued a pursuit on Highway 20. After an officer noticed a young boy in the vehicle, the pursuit was called off, Johnson said.
The officer was able to identify the driver as Brandon Barsnick with registration records and his DMV photo.
CONTACT reporter Monica Vaughan at 749-4783 and on Twitter @MonicaLVaughan.
The Grass Valley Union contributed to this report.
