On January 31, 2023, at approximately 11:45 a.m., Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco, aged 24, was fatally shot while responding to a call in the 2600 block of Pine Street in Selma, California. A homeowner had flagged down Officer Carrasco, alerting him to a suspicious individual on her property. As Officer Carrasco approached the man, later identified as 23-year-old Nathaniel Dixon, Dixon immediately opened fire, striking the officer multiple times. Dixon then fled the scene on foot, still armed.
Emergency responders transported Officer Carrasco to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, where he underwent surgery but tragically succumbed to his injuries. This incident marked the first line-of-duty death in the history of the Selma Police Department, which was established in 1893. Officer Carrasco had served with the department since May 2021 and was expecting his first child with his girlfriend at the time of his death.
Following the shooting, law enforcement launched an intensive manhunt for Dixon. Approximately 25 minutes after the incident, a Fresno County Sheriff's deputy located Dixon near Fig and Sequoia streets, and he was taken into custody without further incident. Dixon's firearm, identified as a .223 caliber assault-style ghost gun, was later recovered nearby.
Dixon, a known gang member with a prior criminal history, including charges for illegal firearms possession and robbery, was on probation under California's AB 109 law at the time of the shooting. He was charged with first-degree murder, with special circumstances for the murder of a police officer, personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing death, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. These charges could result in a sentence of life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
The tragic death of Officer Carrasco prompted an outpouring of grief and support from the community and law enforcement agencies across the state. Vigils and memorials were held in his honor, and a permanent memorial was later dedicated at the Selma Police Department to commemorate his service and sacrifice.
