The man that was shot and killed by Newport Beach police last week has been identified by authorities this week.
Gerrit Vos, 22, of San Clemente, died at 10:18 p.m. May 29 at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, according to the Orange County coroner’s office.
Vos was shot after he charged Newport Beach Police Department officers with a “sharp metal instrument” when they were responding to an altercation at a convenience store in the 1400 block of Superior Avenue, NBPD spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella explained in a statement released on May 30.
Manzella could not comment on what type of sharp object Vos was holding, how many times he was shot or if the shot(s) came from one or more officers because it is an ongoing investigation, she said. She also could not comment on whether or not the officer(s) involved were on any kind of leave from work.
The department’s dispatch center received the 911 call about a male subject causing a disturbance at the store around 8:16 p.m. on May 29
Officers responded and used “both less-lethal force and firearms” when Vos charged them, the press release states. NBPD officials could not comment on what kind of less-lethal force was used.
The injury occurred around 8:43 p.m., according to the coroner.
Vos was transported to the Santa Ana hospital, which has a trauma center, where he died about an hour and a half later from his injuries.
The store clerk suffered minor injuries during the altercation with Vos. No officers were injured.
The last officer involved shooting was in 2007, Manzella said.
Manzella could not comment on whether or not drugs or alcohol were involved.
Orange County Superior Court records show that Vos was charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance in 2011. He pled not guilty and the case was ultimately dismissed.
Again in 2012, Vos was charged with the same violation, as well as possession of metal knuckles and possession of opium pipe and/or controlled substance paraphernalia. He plead guilty to the weapon charge, the other two were dismissed. Vos was sentenced to 20 days in jail and 18 months deferred entry of judgment, meaning he pled guilty, but the court did not enter the judgment and Vos was diverted out of the system and into a drug rehabilitation program and the case was dismissed.
Under a known alias, Jiurit Vos, court records show he was charged with evading payment of fare and failure to appear on written promise in 2010. He pled guilty and was sentenced to a $20 fine for the evading charge. The failure to appear charge was dismissed.
The southbound lanes of Superior Avenue and 15th Street between Superior and Placentia avenues were closed during NBPD’s on-scene investigation, from late Thursday night until early Friday morning, Manzella explained.
The Orange County District Attorney’s office will conduct the investigation. Additional information will be released as the investigation allows.
It is an ongoing investigation.
Anyone with any further information about this incident should contact Detective Justin Morouse at (949) 644-3762 or Sergeant Keith Krallman at (949) 644-3764.
They murdered that boy. Police are very tight lipped on this for good reason. Mathis was MURDER. Once you are in the system they terminate you by tormenting you or, as in this case, by pumping you full or led. They get paid vacation and come back and do it again. Dorner told the truth and that is why they murdered him. He broke the code of silence and anyone else that does gets the same. It’s no different in riverside too.