Deputy Cleared in Fatal Shooting

A Ventura County sheriff’s deputy was legally justified in fatally shooting a Thousand Oaks man who came toward the officer and two others while carrying two long knives, a district attorney’s report has found.

Walter Francis Brazenor, 51, died March 25, nearly seven weeks after he was shot four times in his frontyard by Sheriff’s Deputy Victor Fazio, who was responding to a domestic disturbance call at Brazenor’s home.

Brazenor was smashing furniture and threatening his wife, Kimberly, and his two daughters, 13 and 14, deputies said.

Holding a dagger and an 18-inch sword-like weapon, Brazenor stood outside in the rain and threatened to kill deputies before moving toward Fazio and two others who had responded. He refused requests to drop the knives, deputies said.

“The deputy was legally justified in using deadly force to defend others against the very real potential of an imminent deadly assault by Mr. Brazenor,” according to a report by Jim Ellison, senior deputy district attorney.

The cause of Brazenor’s death had been undetermined for several weeks while medical examiners studied blood and tissue samples. At the time of his death, Brazenor, a retired Southern California Edison employee, had been suffering from bouts of pneumonia, a family lawyer said.

The cause of death was because of multiple gunshot wounds.

“The gunshot wounds led to his death,” Jim Wingate, an investigator for the medical examiner’s office, said Tuesday.

Sheriff’s Capt. Keith Parks said Fazio, 24, remains on patrol duty.