Crime & Safety
Napa Police Shooting Update: Officer Back on Duty
Officer Thomas Keener was released from paid administrative leave two weeks after shooting an unarmed suspect May 13.
The last month has been released from paid administrative leave and is back on active duty.
Napa Police Officer Tommy Keener was released to full duty and assigned to patrol last week, Napa Police Chief Rich Melton said in an email.
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Melton did not elaborate on any details concerning Keener’s status with the police department.
Keener, who has been with the department since December 2010, was placed on paid leave after shooting Luis Armando Contreras, 25, on May 13 following a foot pursuit and struggle. Contreras was not armed.
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Because Keener is a Napa police officer who was on duty when he shot Contreras, the Napa County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation.
“It will probably take a few more weeks” before the sheriff's detectives have concluded their investigation, sheriff’s Capt. Tracey Stuart said on Friday morning.
Once the sheriff’s detectives have finished their report, it will be forwarded to the Napa County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The district attorney will determine if the shooting was justifiable or if any action should be taken against Keener.
The shooting
Napa police say they believe Contreras went to the on Imola Avenue around 11 p.m. May 13 to buy methamphetamine.
Keener arrived at the convenience store and Contreras fled. Keener radioed police dispatch he was in a foot pursuit behind the convenience store, east of Soscol Avenue.
Minutes later, Keener radioed that he had fired shots in the backyard of a residence in the 2100 block of Parrish Road, not far from the market.
When paramedics arrived on scene, they found Contreras suffering from a single gunshot wound to his face.
He was taken by ambulance to and later transferred to a Sonoma County hospital, at which time he was in a medically induced coma.
Contreras’ current medical condition was not available Friday. However, authorities said he was expected to recover from his injury.
According to by the after the shooting, Contreras was addicted to meth and mostly likely fled because he was afraid of being deported.
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