Identity released for man killed in shootout with Fremont police

A man who was fatally shot by Fremont police officers on Thursday night after he allegedly ambushed them was identified by authorities on Monday as 30-year-old Michael Allen Felch of Fremont.

Fremont police alleged that a suspect later identified as Felch fired at an officer at about 10:50 p.m. Thursday as the officer was driving his fully marked patrol vehicle on Civic Center Drive south of the Mowry Avenue intersection.

The officer was heading south past the driveway to the Washington Hospital emergency room when Felch allegedly walked toward the officer’s car from the east side of Civic Center Drive, pointed a handgun at him and opened fire, striking the officer’s vehicle at least once, according to police. The officer realized he was being shot at and made a U-turn and headed back toward where he was initially shot at and Felch ran west across Civic Center Drive and took cover behind a large planter.

The officer stopped his vehicle, took out his service rifle and fired at Felch, who went down to the ground, police said in a news release. At the same time, two other officers who were in the area arrived on the scene in their patrol vehicle and saw Felch lying on the ground next to his gun and waving his arms, police said.

Officers repeatedly ordered Felch to raise his hands and not to reach for his gun but he ignored their commands and he “suddenly raised up off the ground, crawled towards the gun, picked it up and pointed it at the officers,” police said in the news release.

The officers then opened fire and struck Felch, who fell back to the ground with his arms and hands beneath him, police said. Felch was taken into custody with the help of a police dog and given first aid but died at the scene, according to police.

A handgun was recovered from beneath Felch’s torso, police said. No officers or civilians were injured during the firefight, which lasted about 17 minutes, according to police.

The officers who shot at Felch were identified by police as Officer Ryan Lobue, who has 11 years of service with the Fremont Police Department, Officer James Taylor, who has 10 years of service, and K9 Officer Jennifer Allsup, who has 7 years of service.