Ventura police fatally shoot man after pursuit

A Ventura police officer fatally shot a man at the end of a vehicle pursuit Thursday night, authorities said.

The Ventura Police Department said the man had a firearm, but the agency would not describe the final moments of the deadly encounter.

Late Friday afternoon, the Ventura County coroner’s office identified the man as Javier Magana, 32, of Thousand Oaks. A preliminary coroner’s investigation said Magana died from a gunshot to the chest.

Oxnard police vehicles were pursuing “an armed suspect” when he crossed into Ventura, and the chase continued onto the city’s surface streets, Ventura Police Cmdr. Sarah Starr said. The man had been involved in a shooting in the neighboring city, she said.

Oxnard police officers radioed for assistance from Ventura police, and that department took over the pursuit about 7:30 p.m.

The driver crashed his vehicle near Harbor Boulevard and Seaward Avenue. He got out of his vehicle and was shot by a Ventura police officer, Starr said in a statement.

“The suspect was struck by the gunfire and was pronounced deceased at the scene. No officers or bystanders were injured,” the statement said.

An armored Bearcat vehicle was at the scene Thursday night, and tactical officers had broken out the car’s window to make sure no other people were inside the vehicle.

When asked whether the man had a weapon in his hands or visible on his person at the time of the shooting, Starr declined to provide specifics and issued an updated statement.

“The suspect was in possession of a loaded handgun at the time of the shooting. This was a dynamic event with the critical events happening very quickly. The investigation is still fresh and ongoing,” she said.

“The Ventura Police Department is committed to transparency and openness with our community. We will release full details of this incident, including video, once we have all the facts and can report them accurately. We expect to have more details and video released within one week.”