Suspected prowler shot, killed by Cloverdale police had hammer

A Cloverdale man shot and killed by police officers responding to a report of a prowler early Saturday morning threatened officers with a hammer before they discharged their weapons, according to Petaluma police, who are investigating the incident.

The intruder, whose identity was still being confirmed Sunday, was discovered in the backyard of a home in the 100 block of Garden Circle Lane around 1:46 a.m. Saturday after a next-door neighbor called authorities to report a prowler in the area, Petaluma Police Lt. Tim Lyons said.

The man was unknown to the elderly couple who lived in the home and unknown to the neighbors, as well, but is believed to have been living in Cloverdale, Lyons said.

The Sonoma County coroner’s office was trying to reach next of kin to confirm his name, Lyons said.

Petaluma police, with assistance from the Rohnert Park Public Safety Department, are investigating the case under the countywide protocol invoked when authorities use lethal force.

Detectives investigating the officer-involved shooting found the hammer while serving a search warrant Sunday on the property where the shooting occurred, Lyons said.

He said at least four officers were present at the time of the shooting and one still had not been interviewed by late Sunday, so authorities were withholding additional details of the encounter to avoid tainting his recollection, Lyons said.

Cloverdale police earlier issued a news release saying that the suspect “advanced at the officers wielding the weapon” and they “discharged their weapons to protect themselves.”

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@MaryCallahanB.