A Santa Maria police officer was justified in shooting a man who carjacked a woman, pointed a “firearm” toward police officers and later attempted to take a man hostage nearly two years ago, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.

On Friday, the District Attorney’s Office released a report on the review of the non-fatal shooting of Francisco Gomez Solano, 24, on Dec. 15, 2022, in Santa Maria. The analysis relied on investigative reports, video and audio recordings, photographs, and witness interviews. 

That included a voluntary statement provided by Officer Mason Jackson about the circumstances that led to the shooting, with analysis concluding he was justified in using force and bears no criminal liability. 

The investigation revealed that the officer “was forced to respond to the threat when Solano pointed his firearm in the direction of police.”

“Any reasonable law enforcement officer in the same situation as Officer Jackson would perceive Solano’s actions as an immediate lethal threat to themselves and others in the immediate vicinity,” the report stated. “Therefore, Officer Jackson’s use of lethal force was justified and he bears no state criminal liability for his actions.”

After the shooting, investigators determined Solano possessed a fake firearm. He also admitted he had smoked methamphetamine and drank tequila earlier in the day.

The incident began around 5:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 2022, in the area of 223 E. McElhaney Ave., where Solano pointed a gun at a woman getting out of her car and demanded her keys. 

The frightened woman gave Solano her keys, ran away and called 911 as Solano fled in her silver Nissan Altima. Shortly after the carjacking, Solano collided with another vehicle, but continued driving the damage Altima, speeding, running red lights and eventually losing control. 

He crashed into a vehicle at the 7-Eleven parking lot on South Railroad Avenue. The driver’s side door of the Nissan would not open because of the damage, so Solano rolled down the window while holding a gun to his head with his left hand.

Officers ordered him to drop the weapon, but the man climbed out the car’s window. He pointed at the gun toward officers, leading Jackson, armed with an AR-15 rifle, to fire the single shot that struck Solano in the right lower face/jaw area.

Another officer, Ruben Peinado, recalled feeling stress and fear for the safety of the nearby civilians and officers.

Solano fled again and ended up in a mechanic shop, where he held his gun to the man’s neck as though he were going to take him hostage. The man was able to escape, and officer took Solano into custody.

Police determined that Solano’s weapon was a replica firearm with no identifiable markings, such as an orange tip to signify it was a pellet gun.

During an interview with detectives, Solano said he moved from Mexico to the Santa Maria area about three months before the December 2022 incident. 

On the day of the carjacking, he and an unidentified friend had been smoking methamphetamine and drinking tequila when they decided to rob a store, stealing clothes from a business that wasn’t named. 

“In reviewing the evidence and considering all of the circumstances, the actions taken by Officer Jackson were reasonable based on the facts known and perceived by him at the time of the shooting,” the report stated. “Officer Jackson reasonably believed that Solano posed an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death to himself, Officer Peinado, and other people in the vicinity of this location.”

In January 2023, Santa Maria police released a video showing some of the circumstances of the incident involving the man they referred to as Francisco Solano Gomez.

Solano faced two felony criminal charges for his crimes: carjacking and assault with deadly weapon with force likely to cause great bodily injury. 

He later pleaded guilty to carjacking, and the court found true the aggravating factor that Solano was armed with and used a weapon during the commission of the crime. 

On April 12, 2023, Solano was sentenced to five years in state prison. He is incarcerated in North Kern State Prison and will be eligible for parole in September 2026.