A former Sacramento County deputy was shot and killed by law enforcement officers after he fatally stabbed his 11-year-old son, setting off a dramatic high-speed pursuit.
Forty-year-old Marvin Morales was shot on December 2, following the brutal stabbing of his young son at their home in Elk Grove, as captured by police body camera footage.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Morales fled the scene, leading officers on a high-speed chase down Interstate 5, with speeds exceeding 100 mph.
Morales, who was dismissed from the sheriff’s department in 2024 due to a history of drug abuse, was considered highly dangerous given his access to weapons and his military background.
Lt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, revealed, “Just after 8:30 a.m. that morning, we were informed by the Elk Grove Police Department about an investigation into the stabbing of an eleven-year-old child.”
The Elk Grove Police Department identified Morales, the child’s father, as the primary suspect in the tragic incident, Lt. Gandhi confirmed.
Morales had been home with his son and six-year-old daughter when their mother called law enforcement to report that security footage captured Morales assaulting the boy, Fox News reported.
At around 9.30am, an unmarked law enforcement vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate 5 identified Morales and was later joined by two K-9 units.
Marvin Morales, 40, was gunned down on December 2 after he brutally stabbed his son at their Elk Grove home
After a high-speed chase, Morales’ car veered off the highway and was briefly airborne before crashing into a tree
Morales was shot by officers after defying commands to put his hands up and walk toward them
‘Morales drove recklessly – swerving around other civilian vehicles on the shoulder and reached speeds of over 100mph,’ Gandhi continued.
Dashcam footage saw Morales weaving around cars and trucks along the interstate. One unit involved in the chase deployed spike strips, which appeared to puncture one of Morale’s tires, Gandhi said.
At around 9.45am, Morales lost control and veered off the freeway before the vehicle flew in the air and crashed into a tree in an embankment.
Body camera footage saw the car flip, as an officer parked and grabbed a rifle from the patrol vehicle.
‘Door’s open! Door’s open,’ the officer called out before commanding Morales to put his hands in the air.
‘Deputies and officers gave multiple commands for Morales to exit the vehicle and to walk back to them,’ Gandhi said. ‘Morales continued to ignore commands to surrender and then began reaching back into his vehicle, despite multiple commands to stop.’
‘Marvin walk towards us. Don’t reach. Put it down,’ an officer could be heard shouting.
Morales was said to have pulled out an object that officers believed to have been a rifle. At that time both K-9 deputies fired multiple rounds toward Morales, who went down and became unresponsive.
Gandhi said that Morales had worked for with sheriff’s office since 2017 before he was terminated for misconduct
Investigators said Morales admitted to using drugs that were later found to contain fentanyl. Morales had said he had struggled with his mental health and expressed suicidal thoughts
Morales was said to have pulled out an object that officers believed to have been a rifle. At that time both K-9 deputies fired multiple rounds toward Morales, who went down and became unresponsive
A K-9 was deployed as Morales remained unresponsive before he was taken to hospital and later pronounced deceased, according to Gandhi.
Officials have not confirmed if the item in Morales’ hand was in fact a rifle or whether he fired a weapon. No officers were injured.
The California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting as required under state law.
Gandhi said that Morales had worked for the sheriff’s office since 2017 before he was terminated for misconduct.
He had been involved in an internal investigation after overdosing on confiscated drugs while on duty in October 2023, according to the Bee.
Investigators said Morales admitted to using drugs that were later found to contain fentanyl. Morales had said he had struggled with his mental health and expressed suicidal thoughts, according to an internal affairs report.
