On May 20, 2017, at 11:36 a.m. the Pleasanton Police Department received a 911 call from the wife of 58-year-old Shannon Edward Estill. She reported that her husband was acting erratically and that she and her daughter feared for their safety and had locked themselves in an upstairs bedroom. She reported that he was currently in the garage where he had access to firearms.
When officers arrived, they approached the side yard where they could hear a person who they believed to be Estill. The officers opened the side yard gate, announced their presence, and directed him to come out. He did not comply with the officer’s directions. While approaching the open, side door to the garage, officers then heard what sounded like a round being chambered into a shotgun and one officer saw the barrel of a shotgun pointed in his direction. Officers immediately retreated to the front of the residence.
Estill then opened the garage door and rapidly advanced down the driveway while pointing a replica handgun at one of the officers. Estill ignored police commands to drop his weapon forcing the officer to fire his duty weapon hitting Estill who succumbed to his injuries. Estill’s wife and daughter remained inside the upstairs bedroom during the incident and were located by police uninjured.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the Pleasanton Police Department are conducting independent investigations of this incident. All of the officers involved in this incident were wearing and had activated their body-worn-camera systems which are being reviewed as part of the investigation. Seventeen-year-veteran, Keith Batt was the officer who discharged his duty weapon. A photograph of Estill’s replica gun is attached.
In a statement from Chief Spiller, he said, “I extend my sympathy to the Estill family as any loss of life is tragic. I would also like to extend my support to our involved officers, their families, and the members of the Pleasanton Police Department.”
