CORCORAN – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are investigating a use-of-deadly-force incident that resulted in the death of an inmate at California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran (SATF). At approximately 7:34 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 27, there was an attempted homicide of an inmate in one of the facility’s dayrooms. Two inmates attacked a third inmate with an inmate-manufactured weapon.
Officers discharged two 40mm less-than-lethal rounds to stop the attack; however, the inmates did not comply. A correctional officer discharged one lethal round from the Mini-14 rifle. One of the assailants, identified as Daniel Gonzales, sustained a gunshot wound. He received prompt medical attention; however, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 7:58 p.m.
Gonzales, 31, was serving a life-with-parole sentence from Los Angeles County for an in-prison offense of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon by an inmate. He had been in prison since March 2005 for attempted second-degree robbery.
The victim of the attempted homicide attack suffered more than 40 stab wounds and sustained lacerations throughout his body and head, as well as two collapsed lungs. He was transported to an outside hospital for further treatment.
CDCR sent a Deadly Force Investigations Team to SATF to conduct the criminal and administrative investigations into the use of deadly force. CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs is also conducting an investigation into the incident to ensure all protocols were appropriately followed. The Kings County District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Inspector General and the California Correctional Peace Officers Association have been notified as well.
The officer involved in the shooting is on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.
The Peer Support Program was activated. The program ensures CDCR employees involved in work-related critical incidents are provided with intervention and resources to cope with the traumatic effects.
SATF was activated in 1997, and houses Level II, III and IV inmates. The institution specializes in substance abuse treatment. The prison currently has more than 5,800 inmates.
