Man shot by Petaluma Police officers dies

A man who Petaluma Police shot during an armed standoff Tuesday died in the hospital from his wounds Wednesday night, the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office said in a press release.

The man, identified as Luis Alberto Garcia-Vara, 24, from San Rafael, died shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Petaluma Police Lt. Tim Lyons said Tuesday that several officers fired at Garcia-Vara after he waved a weapon at them and made threats. At one point during the standoff, he threatened to kill himself.

The incident took place Tuesday afternoon at an east Petaluma apartment complex called The Vineyard near Casa Grande High School. The school and neighborhood went into lockdown during the standoff with police, which lasted about two hours.

Detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident with assistance of the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, the normal protocol for officer-involved shootings

An independent forensic pathologist will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.