Santa Barbara CHP Files: Three to the Hands, Two to the Chest
Michael Ledesma Almost Got the Suicide By Cop He Wanted
In June, following the death of George Floyd and amid renewed scrutiny over how and when law enforcement officers use physical force against civilians, the Independent filed a California Public Records Act request with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for information on serious use-of-force incidents dating back to 2010. The Sheriff’s Office is releasing the records on a rolling basis, and these reports will be published as the information is made available.
The video shows Michael Ledesma slowly walking with his arms outstretched toward CHP Sgt. Dan Barba. In his left hand, Ledesma holds a five-inch pocket knife. “Shoot me!” he yells in a separate audio recording. “Shoot me!” Barba orders him to stop. “Drop it!” he shouts. “Get back! Get back!”
It is 4:06 p.m. on July 15, 2012, and the two are face-to-face next to Barba’s cruiser on a quiet stretch of Highway 135 just north of Los Alamos. Minutes earlier, Ledesma’s ex-girlfriend, Elisa Morales, had frantically called 9-1-1 to report Ledesma was in her car with their one-year-old daughter and threatening to kill himself. The two had been fighting over their recently ended relationship, and Ledesma, who was drinking heavily, pulled out the knife and cut his hand.
