Full Notification

Date: February 18, 2015 Reference: OIS Update

On February 4, 2015 at about 4:07 p.m., officers from the Corona Police Department responded to the Pacific Premier Bank located at 102 E. Sixth St. Corona, regarding a take-over robbery.

Officers located a suspect vehicle and attempted a high risk enforcement stop near San Antonio Ave. and Bickmore Ave. in the City of Chino. The female driver, later identified as Patricia Cheree Smith, 26 years of Hemet, Ca. exited the vehicle and was contacted by police. The passenger, Paul Alfred Eugene Johnson, 59 years of Hemet, Ca. jumped into the driver’s seat and fled the area leading officers in a vehicle pursuit. Smith immediately told officers that she was a victim of a car-jacking by a man armed with a handgun. Corona police detectives conducted a follow-up interview with Smith and determined that she was an accomplice in the robbery. Smith was later arrested and charged with robbery and the enhancement of being armed with a firearm in the commission of the robbery.

After the short vehicle pursuit came to an end, an officer involved shooting occurred. Johnson was struck multiple times by gunfire and was later pronounced deceased at the scene. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the officer involved shooting portion of this incident. Further investigation at the scene revealed a large sum of cash, two replica handguns and other additional evidence linking Johnson, Smith, and the vehicle to the bank robbery in Corona. Corona police detectives are looking into the possibility that Johnson and Smith may have been involved in other bank robberies in the Southern California area.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has completed their investigative interviews with the Corona police officers involved in the February 4th shooting. In compliance with state law, the officers have been identified as; Senior Detective John Samano, 19 year veteran, Corporal Jason Viefhaus, 18 year veteran, Officer Nilo Ambriz, 15 year veteran, Officer Michael Brunn, 14 year veteran, Officer David Dopson, 11 year veteran, Officer Wade Arens, 7 year veteran, and California Highway Patrol Officer Raymond Diaz, 11 year veteran. None of the officers involved in this incident were injured and all have returned to full duty.