More than two years after a Long Beach police officer fatally shot a 17-year-old boy wielding what turned out to be a replica handgun, California’s Department of Justice has closed its investigation, finding insufficient evidence to charge the officer and concluding that no changes to department policy are warranted. The report centers on the April 26, 2024 death of Brandon Salgado, a San Bernardino teenager who broke into a home on Cerritos Avenue and was shot by police after a standoff lasting about an hour.
According to MyNewsLA.com, the DOJ determined it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Marco Lopez’s use of force was unlawful. The department’s Police Practices Section also found that no policy recommendations were warranted, and the agency said no further action would be taken in the case.
The shooting happened in the 6800 block of Cerritos Avenue, where a resident called 911 after Salgado entered the home wearing a mask and carrying a crowbar, per the DOJ report as relayed by MyNewsLA.com. Investigators said Salgado used the crowbar to force open a gated door and then pointed what appeared to be a gun at three people inside, demanding jewelry, cellphones and wallets.
Officers Arrive to Find Teen Barricaded in a Breezeway
Officers arrived at the home at about 8:36 p.m., according to the DOJ account, and found Salgado in a breezeway between the house and the garage. What followed was a prolonged standoff: MyNewsLA.com reported that officers negotiated with Salgado for about an hour, while ABC7 Los Angeles reported the negotiation stretched nearly 90 minutes as officers repeatedly asked him to put the weapon down. During that time, Salgado reportedly told officers he had a gun and pointed it at his own head, authorities said.
At one point, Salgado agreed to set the apparent gun down so he could catch a bottle of water that officers tossed to him, authorities said. But after another officer took over negotiations, Salgado reached for the gun again and raised it toward officers, according to the DOJ’s findings. Lopez fired a single shot at about 9:58 p.m., striking Salgado, who later died of his injuries.
Body Cameras Captured Little of the Final Moments
Much of what happened in Salgado’s final moments was not visually documented. The DOJ report noted that officers’ body cameras captured little of his movements because the officers were positioned behind a parked car while Salgado remained behind a fence. The San Bernardino Sun, which reviewed the released footage, similarly reported that the body-worn camera video does not capture any visual of the shooting itself.
Surveillance footage from the property, according to the same report, showed a man opening a metal gate to the courtyard before using a crowbar to pry open a metal door and get inside the house. Officers rendered medical aid to Salgado before firefighters arrived, authorities said. Investigators later determined that the item he had pointed at officers and residents was not a real firearm; MyNewsLA.com’s account of the DOJ findings identified it as an airsoft pistol, while ABC7 Los Angeles has described the recovered item as a realistic-looking replica firearm.
A Statewide Mandate Born From Police Shooting Reform
The case was investigated under Assembly Bill 1506, a state law that requires California’s DOJ to investigate and gather facts whenever a peace officer’s shooting results in the death of an unarmed civilian. Under the law, which took effect July 1, 2021, the state created what the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General describes as a mandate for an independent, statewide prosecutor to investigate and review officer-involved shootings of unarmed civilians across the state.
As of October 2026, California’s public database listed 107 incidents covered by the law, and the Mercury News reported that 52 reports had been issued statewide, with every one so far determining that criminal charges were not warranted. A separate AB 1506 case involving the death of John Romero similarly concluded that the apparent firearm in his possession was an airsoft gun, according to the DOJ’s report on that investigation.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said the loss of life in the Salgado case is tragic, and that the report may provide clarity to those affected and to the Long Beach community. The Long Beach Police Department maintains an officer-involved-shooting records page where it says it provides links to records subject to release under SB 1421, with additional records to be added as they become available for public release, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
