Pacifica police have identified Michelle Arrais as the 50-year-old woman who was fatally shot by two officers after she allegedly shot and injured her adult son at an apartment complex last week.
Responding to the call, two officers, identified as Cpl. Hayden Fry and Officer Kevin Contreras arrived at the complex. Upon observing Arrais attempting to drive away, they instructed her to halt. However, instead of complying, Arrais purportedly aimed a firearm at both officers, prompting them to discharge their service weapons at her, as per police statements.
Pacifica Police Department Press Release Re: Michelle Arrais Shooting
The Pacifica Police Department is providing a video and related media of the recent encounter between Ms. Arrais and the officers, which depicts the moments immediately before and after the shooting of the armed woman.
“Our goal in releasing this critical incident video is to allow our community and the public to view the material as clear and straightforward as possible and see what occurred,” said Chief Sarasua. “We are releasing this video before the investigations and reviews are complete because we know our community is concerned whenever our officers use force, and we are determined to share as much information as possible with the community we serve.”
In the interest of transparency, the Pacifica Police Department is also publicly identifying the officers who fired their weapons during the March 27 encounter with a woman who pointed a gun at them after a report she shot her son.
Corporal Hayden Fry is an eight-year veteran of the Pacifica Police Department. Officer Kevin Contreras was hired in 2023 with approximately six years of prior law enforcement service elsewhere. The woman who was shot during the police response to the shooting of her son is 50-year-old Michelle Arrais.
The incident began on March 27, 2024, at 7:51 when a 23-year-old man called 911 to report he had been shot by his mother, Michelle Arrais, inside their apartment located at 2562 Francisco Boulevard. The victim said he was awakened by the sound of gunshots in the apartment and then Arrais opened his bedroom door and shot him twice.
Soon after arriving at the apartment complex, Corporal Fry and Officer Contreras saw Arrais driving out of the apartment complex. The officers commanded Arrais to stop and she pointed a firearm at both officers at which time they fired their service weapons at her.
Despite the immediate life-saving efforts rendered by officers and paramedics, Arrais died at the scene. The victim was discovered hiding inside a locked bathroom. He was treated and released from the hospital for two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.
A loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered from Arrais and four boxes of ammunition were recovered from her purse on the front passenger seat of her vehicle. Officers searching the apartment discovered the family’s dog dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
At this time, it is believed Arrais shot and killed the dog prior to shooting her son.
Chief Maria Sarasua said, “It is always tragic when law enforcement intervenes with deadly force, regardless of the circumstances. It impacts the family involved in the incident, our community, and the members of our police department. As police chief, I am committed to ensuring that all involved are treated with care and compassion while ensuring a full and thorough investigation into what occurred.”
There are three independent and concurrent investigations being conducted per San Mateo County Officer Involved Shooting Protocol.
The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an investigation to determine if the shooting was in compliance with state law.
The Pacifica Police Department is conducting an internal administrative investigation to determine if department policies and procedures were followed.
Finally, the Pacifica Police Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the initial shooting of the son and the killing of the family dog.
The full length of the body-worn camera footage is not being released currently due to the active criminal and administrative investigations regarding the incident.
Corporal Fry and Officer Contreras are on paid administrative leave per department protocol. Any further inquiries should be directed to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.