Newly released body-worn camera footage from a deadly shootout in Baldwin Park, California, provides a harrowing look at the May 31, 2025 incident that claimed the life of a police officer and an innocent father of two.
The encounter began around 7:15 p.m. when officers responded to reports of a man firing a rifle in a residential neighborhood. The first arriving Baldwin Park Police Department officer discovered an unresponsive person on the ground but immediately came under fire from an assault-style rifle wielded by 22-year-old Eduardo Robert Medina-Berumen, according to authorities.
As a second patrol unit arrived, the suspect fired multiple rounds, striking the vehicle twice. One shot hit Officer Anthony Pimentel’s windshield, sending glass and debris into his face. Pimentel was hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to recover.
Surveillance and witness video captured neighbors scrambling for safety as rapid gunfire echoed through the area, with many having gathered for weekend parties and social events. A law enforcement helicopter assisted ground units in locating Medina-Berumen lying in the front yard of a nearby home.
Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department joined additional Baldwin Park officers, including 35-year-old Samuel Riveros, a nine-year veteran. Riveros began a dangerous approach toward the suspect and was shot while across the street. A team of officers rushed to his aid, dragging him out of the line of fire. He was airlifted to USC Medical Center but later died from his injuries.
The innocent bystander, 43-year-old Darius Wong, a father of two young daughters, was shot in the back. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The tragedy unfolded amid a period of heightened scrutiny of public safety in California, as debates over policing and crime dominate the California gubernatorial race.
Using an armored vehicle, police and deputies positioned themselves in front of the yard where Medina-Berumen had taken cover and shot him when he allegedly reached for the rifle he had been using. He was transported to the hospital in stable condition and later charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and possession of an assault weapon. If convicted, he faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Sam was a dedicated officer who represented our department with dignity and honor,” Baldwin Park Police Chief Robert A. López said of Riveros. “In the face of danger, Sam selflessly put the safety of others before his own and gave his life doing so. We will never forget Sam, and we will lean on one another in our shared grief as we move forward.”
The footage was released by the Baldwin Park Police Department, drawing renewed attention to the risks officers and civilians face during violent encounters. The case also underscores broader public safety conversations, as highlighted by recent incidents like the Louisiana mall shooting and the arrest of a former North Carolina officer accused of plotting a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival.
