Here's what we know about the fatal Stockton police shooting

A man shot and killed by two Stockton police officers on Sunday night may have been connected to shootings in Sacramento and San Joaquin counties, investigators said this week.

The man's motive and intent remain unclear and may never be known. Police are continuing to dig into the man's past to figure out what happened.

"I know the decedent is being looked into for the other two shootings," said Ruben Jones, a spokesman for California Highway Patrol.

While few details have emerged about the earlier shootings, police offered general information into where their investigation has led them. The Sacramento-area shooting occurred around 7:05 p.m. near Highway 99 and Calvine Road, not far from Cosumnes River College. A second shooting, about 25 minutes later, occurred in San Joaquin County near Eight Mile Road, Jones said.

A silver car was linked to the two shootings, Jones added. It was found abandoned on southbound Interstate 5, close to Eight Mile Road.

Previous reports that the CHP is investigating a connection to a third shooting were incorrect, Jones said.

Later Sunday night, Jaden Durand Mixon, 20, of Antelope, was fatally shot by officers Gianni Azevedo and Brian Tualla — assigned to Stockton Police Department's field operations unit in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Mixon was struck "multiple times," police said.

Police could not specify how many shots were fired by Azevedo and Tualla, or if Mixon fired any rounds at officers.

“It seemed like it was a lot (of gunshots),” said Clarisa Bailey, who lives on the same street where the deadly shooting occurred. “More than three or four shots.”

Another neighborhood resident who heard the altercation was Angel Cingocon.

“They (Mixon and police) had a whole conversation before it all escalated,” said Cingocon, who heard three bursts of three shots each.

Mixon is the third person within a year to die after an encounter with Stockton police officers.

In July 2022, Michael Bean died of a brain injury two days after losing consciousness while being arrested by Stockton police officers in north Stockton. Medical examiners ruled Bean's death an accident, and found he had methamphetamine in his system. Police have provided little detail about how officers handled Bean during the arrest.

Six months later, Stockton police shot and killed Rico Ruiz-Altamirano less than a quarter mile from where Mixon was shot on Sunday. The altercation came after 911 callers reported a man attempting to hold someone hostage with a gun, police said.

'Suspect suddenly reached down'

Sunday's deadly encounter began at about 7:48 p.m., according to police. A 911 caller reported seeing a man armed with a handgun near Sturgeon Road and Mariners Drive, not far from Interstate 5.

Archived scanner traffic provides a glimpse into police activity in the area in the minutes before the shooting.

"There's a male wearing a baseball hat ... possibly a blue shirt and black shorts," a dispatcher can be heard saying. 

"(The 911 caller) assumed he was trying to 913 (commit suicide), but then he (approached) the driver's side of this unknown vehicle with a handgun in his right hand," a dispatcher said.

Three minutes later, at 7:51 p.m., another 911 caller reported seeing "a Black male wearing all black, in the middle of the street waving around a gun," a dispatcher said.

The location was "... possibly in between Falconcrest and Mariner's Cove (apartment complexes)," about half a mile south of Sturgeon and Mariners.

Another half-mile south — at the Hammer Lane and Mariners Drive intersection — officers Azevedo and Tualla spotted someone they believed matched the 911 callers' descriptions, according to police.

"The suspect removed what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband and dropped it on the ground," according to a police statement. "The suspect briefly raised his hands above his head."

"Officers gave commands, at which point the suspect suddenly reached down and grabbed the handgun. The suspect then began to run and pointed the handgun at the officers," police stated.

At 7:55 p.m., Azevedo and Tualla reported "shots fired" over the radio, police said.

If Mixon was involved in all three encounters, that would mean 50 minutes passed between the Sacramento County shooting and when Azevedo and Tualla fired their weapons. He would have had to travel more than 37 miles total, including about three miles from where he allegedly abandoned the silver car to where he was shot dead.

The officers stayed near their patrol cars until backup arrived, according to police. 

Khadijha Lewis said she went outside her home to see what was happening after she heard the gunshots echo around dusk.

Lewis said she "didn't see anyone" helping. "He wasn't cuffed." 

"I stood out there for a very long time to see if the cops would give CPR, and I didn't see any of that," she said.

Police said they handcuffed Mixon and "attempted to render medical aid," but Mixon died at the scene. The officers were wearing body-worn cameras.

Investigators found a 9mm Glock "immediately next to the suspect," police stated. Police have not said if the gun was registered to anyone.

Stockton Police and the California Department of Justice are still investigating the shooting. Azevedo and Tualla have been placed on paid leave while the police department investigates the incident, police spokesman David Scott said.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at recordnet.com/subscribenow.

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at recordnet.com/subscribenow.