Officers responded to a call about Coates shouting at his girlfriend, Sonja Morrow, and hitting the caller, Norman Petersen. Over an hour later, officers went to the couple's residence. Morrow let officers in. Coates, in their bedroom, refused to speak to the officers and pointed a BB gun at them. They fatally shot him as Morrow tried to tell them that the weapon was fake.
Victim's Name: Matthew Coates
Agency Responsible: Sacramento Police Department
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Race: White
Date of Death: May 15, 2015
County: Sacramento
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Unreported
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Yes
Armed: Unarmed/Did Not Have an Actual Weapon
Weapon: toy
Threat Level: attack
Fleeing: Not fleeing
Body Camera: No
Washington Post Database ID: 462
Geography: Urban