Fresno officer shot after domestic violence call, suspect had prior felony conviction

A 56-year-old man with a prior felony assault conviction is accused of shooting a Fresno police officer after officers responded to a domestic-violence call in southwest Fresno, putting the city’s response to violent repeat offenders under scrutiny.

Police said the call came in around 6:28 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026, to a confidential location near East Garrett and South Clara avenues. Investigators say Paul Rodriguez Cisneros had allegedly threatened to shoot his wife before officers arrived, and the response quickly escalated into a dangerous scene involving a woman and an 8-year-old girl who had to be rescued.

Local reports said officers tried to reach Cisneros by phone and also used PA announcements before moving to make the arrest. Instead, police said, he fired at one of the officers. The search spread into a large manhunt and a shelter-in-place response as multiple agencies moved into the area. Cisneros was later found near Bardell and Vine avenues after a standoff, and local coverage said he allegedly stole a Fresno Police vehicle during the incident.

The officer who was shot was released from the hospital and is expected to recover at home, Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto said. Cisneros suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to reports, and remained hospitalized in critical condition. If he survives, police said, he could face charges including domestic violence and attempted murder of a police officer, along with other allegations tied to the confrontation.

Court records reviewed by ABC30 showed Cisneros had already been convicted of felony assault in 2017. Other local reports said he was also wanted on allegations including assault with a deadly weapon involving a vehicle, criminal threats, attempted murder of a police officer, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of resisting an executive officer, and a prior firearms conviction. The case now raises hard questions for Fresno residents about how a man with that record was again in a position to threaten a family and put officers in the line of fire.

The broader context is grimly familiar to advocates at the Marjaree Mason Center, which says domestic violence often follows a repeated cycle that can escalate into threats, stalking, attempted homicide and self-harm. The center’s county dashboard, launched in 2023 with Fresno County law-enforcement partners, says Fresno County has the highest per-capita domestic-violence calls to law enforcement among California’s 10 largest counties. California Department of Justice materials also note that domestic-violence-related calls for service are tracked statewide and can involve weapons, including firearms, knives and other dangerous weapons.