Police Shooting After Disturbing Incident at Gas Station
Authorities in San Bernardino County have confirmed a police shooting involving a woman who was armed with a knife and reportedly tried to set a vehicle on fire at a local gas station. The incident unfolded in the early hours of February 13, 2025, raising serious questions about public safety and police engagement protocols.
Incident Overview
The sequence of events began around 11:30 p.m. on February 12, when a Starbucks employee located at 1181 S. Mt. Vernon Avenue reported a woman outside their store who was armed with a knife. This prompted a swift response from the Colton Police Department. The woman, identified as 36-year-old Leandra Michelle Guerrero from Riverside, was found talking to an unidentified male outside the coffee shop. According to the officer on site, Guerrero’s conduct was causing distress among employees.
Your Report of Threatening Behavior
Less than an hour after the initial call, police received another alert concerning a woman with a knife at an Arco gas station at 1240 E. Washington Street, approximately half a mile from the Starbucks location. Here, witnesses reported that Guerrero was not only armed but was also trying to enter other customers’ vehicles while behaving aggressively.
Escalation at the Gas Station
When officers arrived at the gas station, they discovered Guerrero inside a white SUV, where she was allegedly using a lighter to ignite something within the vehicle while holding the knife to her own throat. Officer body camera footage captured this alarming behavior and showed the officers attempting to communicate and de-escalate the situation.
“She is trying to light something on fire inside the vehicle,” an officer is heard saying in the footage, before urgently informing dispatch, “She is trying to slice her throat,” highlighting the critical nature of the incident.
Police Response and Aftermath
In a tense moment, Guerrero exited the SUV toward the responding officers, leading to the deployment of both a firearm and a stun gun. She was subsequently struck by police gunfire and fell to the ground. Immediate medical assistance was rendered by officers on the scene, and fire crews were called to extinguish the flames that had erupted inside the vehicle, which posed a significant hazard due to proximity to the gas pumps.
Paramedics quickly transported Guerrero to the hospital, where she was reported to be in stable condition following treatment. In the wake of the incident, police recovered the knife used by Guerrero and apprehended her.
Legal Proceedings and Investigations
Guerrero now faces multiple charges, including assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, carjacking, robbery, and arson. Both the San Bernardino County sheriff’s department and the district attorney’s office are conducting an investigation into the officer-involved shooting, while the Colton Police Department has initiated an internal review of the incident. Fortunately, no officers or civilians were harmed during this critical situation.
The events on that night underscore the complexities faced by law enforcement when responding to mental health crises and the use of force in potentially life-threatening scenarios.
