Man shot by Richmond detective on Interstate 80 identified by California DOJ

Authorities have identified the man killed in an officer-involved shooting on Interstate 80 last month as Luis Angel Torres Rivera, according to the California Department of Justice.

Torres Rivera was shot on January 22, 2025, during an encounter with a Richmond police detective on westbound Interstate 80 near the Highway 4 interchange, authorities said. He was transported to a local trauma center, where he later died.

The Richmond Police Department said a detective traveling westbound on I-80 shortly after 7 a.m. encountered a gold Nissan sedan stopped and blocking the far left lane of traffic. The detective, who was driving an unmarked police vehicle, stopped and activated emergency lights to assist what appeared to be a stranded motorist.

Police said the detective contacted an adult man standing near the vehicle who was holding a metal object. An altercation occurred, and the detective discharged their service weapon, striking the man. Emergency medical personnel rendered aid at the scene. The detective sustained minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital, police said.

At the time of the shooting, the detective was not in uniform and was not wearing a body-worn camera. Richmond police said detectives assigned to investigative divisions wear business attire and are not required to wear body cameras.

A video of the aftermath of the shooting has circulated widely on social media. The footage, which has been shared on platforms including Instagram and TikTok, appears to show a man lying on the roadway as a Richmond police detective breaks a window of a vehicle with an object and opens the door.

The California Department of Justice has assumed responsibility for investigating the shooting under Assembly Bill 1506 because it is unclear whether the man was armed with a dangerous weapon at the time of the shooting, police said. DOJ records list the location as westbound Interstate 80 east of Pinole Valley Road.

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