Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting Thursday In Walnut Creek

A 46-year-old Walnut Creek man was shot and killed by police near the intersection of Buena Vista and Alvarado avenues in Walnut Creek after neighbors reported seeing a man in dark clothing prowling the area with a flashlight. Neighbors reported hearing shouted police commands and at least two shots fired in the area around midnight Wednesday, bystanders reporting bullet strikes in a nearby street sign and through the window glass of a neighbor’s car.

Police described events leading up to the shooting in a release issued Thursday morning:

On Thursday, February 26, 2026, at approximately 12:10 AM, Walnut Creek Police Officers responded to the area of Buena Vista Avenue and Alvarado Avenue after a caller reported a male wearing dark clothing was in the area looking into homes and parked vehicles with a flashlight.

Upon arrival, officers located a subject matching the above description who was holding what appeared to be a firearm. It was later determined to be a pellet gun that closely resembled a handgun. Officers issued multiple commands for the individual to drop the weapon. The subject did not comply, and an officer‑involved shooting occurred. Officers immediately performed life-saving measures and medical personnel were requested to the scene. Despite these efforts to save the subject’s life, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics from the Contra Costa County Fire Department.

No officers were injured during this event. This was determined to be an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the community.

The investigation is ongoing. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a parallel investigation in accordance with the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident Protocol. Body‑worn camera footage related to this incident will be released at a later time.

The subject is a 46-year-old resident of Walnut Creek. We are not releasing his name at this time as this is still an ongoing investigation.

The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave per department policy.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Walnut Creek Police Department at (925) 943‑5844, or the Anonymous Tip Line at (925) 943‑5865.

UPDATE: Meanwhile, a household not far from the shooting scene told KRON news they were grieving after identifying their son as the man shot and killed by police early Thursday.

Annie Pererya told a reporter that her son, Tony, 46, suffered from schizophrenia and had refused medication used to treat his mental illness.

She related she knew nothing of her son’s alleged activities Thursday but said she warned Walnut Creek police that her son had spoken about committing “suicide by cop” in the past and that she had warned Chief Ryan Hibbs of that threat earlier in the month.

Pererya said her son was not allowed to own a weapon but that he did have a paintball gun – which she tried to take from him.

Pererya told KRON she used to sit on the Contra Costa County mental health commission and advocated for tougher rules pertaining to people like her son.

She said she and her husband secured a restraining order against her son after he physically assaulted them last March.