SARATOGA (BCN) — A Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy lawfully shot and killed an intoxicated, armed man in Saratoga in 2013, according to a report by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Deputy Aldo Groba fatally shot 43-year-old Brandon Marshall on Dec. 10, 2013, outside the Saratoga Avenue office parking lot of Roku, a digital company known for its streaming devices. Marshall worked there as an engineer, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Deputy Groba’s state of mind at the time of the shooting and his description of Marshall’s erratic and threatening conduct is corroborated by multiple sources, other eye witnesses, physical evidence, toxicology results, and Marshall’s history of mental health issues,” Deputy District Attorney Dan Fehderau wrote in the 46-page report released today on the case.
Prior to the shooting, Marshall acted “bizarre” when he took medicine at a company meeting he wasn’t invited to around noon that day, attempted to vomit on his own and called his father on speakerphone, prosecutors said.
Once Marshall went out to the parking lot, company employees called 911 to report he was running around outside and suspected he overdosed on prescription medicine, according to the report.
Marshall had also talked about the U.S. Secret Service and the Illuminati, the report said.
Groba and other deputies arrived to the scene where they encountered Marshall, who was at first calm but then became agitated, according to the district attorney’s office.
Marshall took out a Kubotan, a 6-inch metal weapon with a tapered or spiked tip, that he threatened to use against the deputies, the report said.
Groba instructed first responders at the scene to back away from Marshall, who ran toward the deputy and attacked him with the weapon, according to the report.
Groba blocked a hit to his head from Marshall and was struck in his forearm. Groba believed he was stabbed as Marshall continued to attack, which led the deputy to back away and shoot once at the suspect, prosecutors said.
Marshall struggled with other deputies as they subdued and handcuffed him. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about three hours later, according to the district attorney’s office.
Groba, who has worked with the sheriff’s office for more than 10 years, was treated at a hospital for swelling and contusion to his left forearm, the report said.
Marshall had mental health issues and suffered from anxiety. He had been previously treated for conditions including major depressive disorders, alcohol abuse and insomnia, according to the district attorney’s office.
Marshall worked at Roku for a year before the shooting and had 15 years of experience in engineering and Web development, according to the report.
Forensic tests showed the 43-year-old had ingested high levels of 2C-P, an illegal designer drug commonly known as “bath salts” and similar to cocaine, prosecutors said.