Napa police fatally shoot man following domestic violence 911 call

NAPA, Calif. (KTVU) - Napa police officers shot and killed a man early Wednesday morning following a 911 domestic violence call, the chief said.

The sheriff's department identified him as 27-year-old David Alejandro Molina. 

Police Chief Robert Plummer said officers were responding to a 911 call just before 2 a.m. about a man assaulting a woman and that he had a gun near Soscol and Lincoln avenues. 

When officers arrived, Molina took off prompting a foot chase, Plummer said, through a wooded, ravine area behind an apartment complex. A physical fight broke out between Molina and officers, Plummer said. "At some point, shots were fired," Plummer said, and the man was pronounced dead on the scene.

The officer is OK, Plummer said. 

Police don’t know if Molina had fired any shots.

Later on Wednesday morning, an officer with a metal detector was searching through the front lawn of the Vineyard Terrace Apartment complex.

Plummer said the last deadly officer involved shooting was about two years ago. 

Neighbor Maria Vermes said this type of violence is very rare.

"This is a very safe neighborhood," she said.