Inquest held regarding Martinez police shooting

A man who was fatally shot by police this February in Antioch was found to have died by the hands of another person in a manner that was not accidental in a coroner’s inquest Tuesday morning, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.

The inquest is merely a fact-finding mission but if the person who killed the person is implicated as the unlawful killer, an arrest may be made.

Lloyd Joseph Harris Jr. was shot in the 4600 block of Golf Course Road around 5:15 p.m. Feb. 8, while police were taking him into custody on a federal warrant.

Harris was said to be armed, dangerous and wanted in connection with a recent assault when an officer recognized him. The suspect was also listed as a person of interest in a homicide case.

Harris, 40, allegedly resisted and one of the officers opened fire. He was transported to a hospital but did not survive his injuries. A BB gun was reported at the scene, and investigators believe it fell from Harris’s waistband when he was removed from a vehicle.

A coroner’s inquest is held any time a suspect dies and law enforcement officers are involved. There are four possible findings for the jury to reach including that the death happened at the hands of another, other than by accident, as well as by accident, suicide or natural causes.

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