FYI....This is the info about the taxpayer funded school ran by this group, as per the Fresno Co. office of education website.
The wording of the statement Pierce read describing the incident was precise and formal, beginning with reports to sheriff's dispatchers of a suspicious person at 4:45 p.m. and ending with Abdullah's arrest.
But Pierce read slowly and paused frequently, shouldering emotions over the first Fresno deputy sheriff to die at the hands of another since 1908.
Answering questions from the media, the sheriff described Telen, who was married with two daughters and expecting a third child, as someone who cared deeply for his family: "He was personable, great smile. He loved the work, a Christian. He was a good guy."
Telen was pronounced dead Tuesday night at Sierra Kings Hospital in Reedley, where he was transported -- first in a patrol car, then transferred to an ambulance, Pierce said.
Pierce said the two other officers on the scene at the time of the shooting, and the helicopter crew and SWAT officers who retrieved Telen and arrested Abdullah, followed department guidelines: "Let me share with you, all the officers did exactly what they were trained to do. They have an obligation and a duty to serve this community, and they are at risk all the time. They followed techniques and training to the letter."
Pierce wiped away tears as he added, "There were no shortage of heroes last night."
Telen, who had been with the department 2 1/2 years, previously served on the Ontario police force in southern California. He was part of the Fresno County sheriff's detail assigned to assist in traffic control and safety at the Dunlap forest fire.
The incident took place at a home in the 36000 block of Highway 180, about a half-mile east of Dunlap Road. The house is set about a quarter-mile off the highway.
Sheriff's Lt. Don Burk said at the scene Tuesday night that the suspect had access to six to 10 shotguns, rifles and handguns inside the home as well as ammunition for all of the weapons.
Burk added about the suspect: "It's truly unknown who he is, and what set him off."
Sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers and the Fresno Police Department's SWAT team and its armored vehicle responded to the scene. A law enforcement negotiation team also aided in the capture of the suspect.
Authorities hadn't identified the homeowners.
The incident started late Tuesday afternoon when neighbors saw a man acting in a suspicious manner on the property, Burk said. The neighbors confronted the man, but he threatened them.
Neighbors called the Sheriff's Department about 4:45 p.m. Two deputies detailed to a nearby forest fire were dispatched to the home for a reported burglary in progress, Greening said.
Meanwhile, the daughter of the homeowners was contacted. She met the deputies at the home and said that her parents were away from the residence, Burk said. The woman noticed that a window screen had been removed and the window broken. Greening said neighbors told deputies who responded that the man they confronted had approached another neighbor asking for food; when he was denied, he was seen approaching the home where the shooting took place.
The two deputies entered the home about 7 p.m. As they entered a hallway, they encountered gunfire from the heavily-armed intruder, Burk said.
As they retreated, the deputies returned gunfire, but it was not known if the suspect was struck.
The Bee's Edward R. Jimenez and Pablo Lopez contributed to this report. The reporter can be reached at mbenjamin@fresnobee.com or 441-6330.