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Man Shot While Holding Father Hostage During Family Dispute
Published 2 years ago
Body camera footage released by the Napa City Police Department, shows the moments officers utilized lethal force to neutralize a male subject pointing a shotgun at his father.
On October 6th, 2021, the Napa Central Dispatch Center received a report of a family dispute outside of a home in the 1600 block of Pear Tree Lane. The reporting party told dispatchers that a neighbor’s son, later identified as 26-year-old Jeremy Vellenoweth, had a weapon pointed at his father in front of their home.
Napa Police Officers heard a shot fired as they approached the home. They ran to the scene and observed Vellenoweth pointing a shotgun in the direction of officers and family. In an effort to protect those being threatened by Vellenoweth, Officer Deguilio fired his service weapon, striking Vellenoweth, causing him to drop the shotgun.
Vellenoweth’s family was with him at the time of the incident. His father reacted by going to his son and grabbing the weapon. While paramedics were staged nearby, officers were unable to secure the scene for several minutes as the father would not step away from his son and the nearby shotgun. Officers briefly detained the father, allowing them to approach, secure the shotgun the father had briefly grabbed after the shooting, and render aid to Vellenoweth until the paramedics arrived on scene. EMS transported Vellenoweth to a nearby hospital where he later died of his injuries.
The crime scene was immediately secured with help from members of the Napa County Major Crimes Investigation Team (NCMCIT).
