A Shasta County Sheriff’s Sergeant will not be charged for shooting a man last year. 41-year-old Thomas Barbosa was shot dead by Sergeant Jose Gonzalez. Barbosa was a Marine Corps veteran who suffered the affects of P.T.S.D. after serving in Iraq. He had been the subject of numerous mental health related welfare checks and had a history of threatening to harm himself. In the previous May, Barbosa had barricaded himself in his attic and he attempted suicide numerous times, according to the investigation. On February 4th, 2020, Barbosa began the day walking around his Cottonwood house smashing things with a hammer and acting paranoid. His wife called 9-1-1 and then left with their 3 children. Barbosa was following them in his pickup. Deputies contacted her and had her meet them at the Auction Yard. When Barbosa saw the deputies he fled. Sergeant Gonzalez began following Barbosa and tried to pull him over but he continued west on Gas Point Road. Deputies chased him until a CHP helicopter took over, tracking him until he drove through a fence and over the edge of a cliff off Platina Road. The truck tumbled and came to rest against a large tree. Sergeant Barbosa armed himself with an AR-15 and provided cover while three deputies climbed down the cliff. Barbosa was in the truck but would not come out at first. When he looked like he was exiting the truck, Gonzalez saw Barbosa had a large knife and he fired a single fatal shot from his AR-15. He later said he was concerned about the safety of a deputy with a K9 who was nearby. Based on the knowledge Gonzalez had about Barbosa’s past, the shooting was ruled to be justified.
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