California sheriff’s deputy Randy Hoppert was shot and killed by a 60-year-old man, David Morales, CBS News reported. The incident took place in Porterville on Thursday.
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were in the area of Newcomb and Grand avenues around 10:20 a.m. They went there to serve an eviction notice to Morales when he fired shots.
Hoppert was struck and rushed to a hospital, where the 35-year-old was pronounced dead.
BREAKING: Tulare Co. Sheriff’s Deputy Randy Hoppert shot & killed in Porterville, California, serving eviction notice.
Suspect David Morales dead after shooting/standoff near Newcomb & Grand.
Heavy SWAT response ended; area secure. Hero leaves pregnant wife. https://t.co/5oD7u7asYx pic.twitter.com/heqOXF5yBH
— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) April 10, 2026
In a Facebook post, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office identified the fallen deputy as Randy Hoppert, 35, a six-year veteran of the department.
The caption reads, “Sheriff Boudreaux has identified the TCSO Deputy shot and killed this morning during an Officer Involved Shooting in Porterville as 35-year-old Randy Hoppert, a six-year veteran of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.”
The post added, “Around 10:20 a.m. on April 9, TCSO Deputies were in the area of Newcomb and Grand in Porterville serving an eviction notice…Deputy Hoppert was rushed to a local hospital, where we are heartbroken to confirm, he passed away.”
Sheriff Boudreaux said authorities at one point considered using a medevac helicopter to evacuate Hoppert, but his condition was too severe for that. ABC7 Eyewitness News also reported Hoppert served in the U.S. Navy from 2010 to 2015, and then joined the Sheriff’s Office on January 5, 2020.
He is survived by his wife, who is four months pregnant.
In an earlier post, the Sheriff’s Office said the suspect had not yet been taken into custody.
They wrote, “Right now, Deputies are still on scene, as Morales is outstanding and shots are still being fired.”
This is why they also urged residents to stay in their homes and placed schools in the area under lockdown.
However, the latest post informed that the suspect, Morales, had died as well. “Shortly before 6 p.m. tonight, Sheriff Boudreaux also announced that the suspect, David Morales, was run over and killed by Deputies driving the Kern County Sheriff’s Office SWAT vehicle.”
According to the Associated Press, Morales barricaded himself within his house for several hours with a rifle. The officers also used gas to bring him out of the house, but Morales continued to fire at them.
#BREAKINGNEWS: A Tulare County Sheriff’s Office detective was shot and killed while serving an eviction notice at a home in Porterville, California on Thursday, according to authorities. The suspect was killed after Kern County SWAT made the decision to run him over with a… pic.twitter.com/tdRZLYvtju
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) April 10, 2026
The suspect later exited the home and moved through nearby yards.
Reportedly, Morales had not paid rent for 35 days, and he knew the law enforcement officers would come and serve him the final notice for eviction. Apparently, he “lay in wait” and fired when the officers arrived.
Boudreaux said Morales’ family remained in contact with him and urged him to surrender peacefully. However, he did not listen to their request.
