Antioch Police ID, release video of February officer-involved shooting of suspect in armed robbery of Food Maxx store
23-year-old Dominick Edward DeSouza has history of 19 arrests including 2021 Fairfield jewelry store robbery and in Solano County on Feb. 7th
By Allen D. Payton
According to Lt. William Whitaker of the Antioch Police Investigations Bureau, the Antioch Police Department is releasing video related to an officer-involved shooting that occurred on February 20, 2026, during an armed robbery investigation. The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Dominick Edward DeSouza of Antioch, born August 27, 2002.
“To be as open with our community as possible, this material is being released even while the investigation remains ongoing. The video includes body-worn camera footage, surveillance video and other evidence gathered during the investigation,” Whitaker shared in a press release issued today, Tuesday, April 23, 2026. “The officers involved were placed on administrative leave in accordance with department policy.”
As previously reported, at 5:16 a.m. that day, Antioch Police officers were dispatched to the 4500 block of Lone Tree Way for a report of a robbery in progress. While officers were en route, the reporting party stated that one of the suspects was armed with a firearm and had threatened him.
According to Captain Desmond Bittner, “The suspect vehicle backed into the FoodMaxx store before the officers arrived,” smashing in the front glass doors. One employee said store employees heard the crash, saw some of the commotion, called police who arrived quickly, and that there was more than one suspect who entered the store and attempted to steal alcohol.
When officers arrived, they confronted a suspect at the scene. During the encounter, the suspect rammed his vehicle into an occupied patrol car. An officer who was outside the suspect’s vehicle then came into contact with the driver, and a physical struggle ensued.
During the altercation, the officer was pulled into the vehicle as the suspect drove forward, striking both a patrol car and the nearby store.
The officer gave the driver multiple commands to stop the car, but he did not comply. The suspect continued driving recklessly and at a high rate of speed with the officer trapped inside. The officer then discharged his service weapon, striking the suspect. The suspect exited the vehicle on the sidewalk in front of a house on the corner of Southwood Way at Field Brook Court and fled on foot but was apprehended a short time later. Bittner confirmed, “The suspect was arrested in the area of the Southwood Way location.”
Description of Incident from Body Cam Videos
As the nine-minute Antioch Police Critical Incident Video shows, after one of the suspects, identified as DeSouza, exited the store and entered the driver’s seat two officers arrived in separate vehicles and DeSouza rammed his car into Officer Armstrong’s vehicle.
The video offers further description of the incident: “Officer Donaldson, on foot, reached into the suspect vehicle and engaged in a struggle with DeSouza. During the struggle, Officer Donaldson was knocked into the suspect vehicle as DeSouza accelerated into the store (in reverse) and then drove forward at a high rate of speed” crashing again into the police vehicle, before driving off.
“Two other suspects in the robbery fled the scene on foot’’ and Officer Armstrong pursued one.
Donaldson gave “the driver, DeSouza, repeated commands to stop the vehicle. DeSouza drove for approximately two miles while Officer Donaldson repeatedly attempted to de-escalate the situation and persuade him to stop the vehicle.
“DeSouza repeatedly told Officer Donaldson to ‘get out’ and said he was going to crash the car. DeSouza refused to stop to let the officer out and told him to jump from the vehicle. Given the speed of the vehicle, there was a risk of great bodily injury or death.
“As DeSouza continued to drive recklessly through city streets, Officer Donaldson informed DeSouza that he would be shot if he did not stop. DeSouza did not comply.”
DeSouza can be heard saying, “I’m going to crash this…car. I ain’t going to jail…I’m going to crash, bro.” Donaldson responded, “Don’t. It’s not worth it,” to which DeSouza said, “It is worth it. I got family, bro.”
Donaldson can be heard responding repeatedly, “Talk to me. Talk to me.”
The video narrative shares, “Officer Donaldson tried putting the vehicle into neutral as DeSouza continually pulled the officer’s hands off the gear shift.”
DeSouza can be heard saying, “That’s not gonna work, bro. That’s not gonna work.”
Then Donaldson can be seen punching DeSouza in the face and saying, “Stop. I will shoot” as he pointed his service weapon at DeSouza.
DeSouza, with a bruise to his right eye area, repeatedly tells Donaldson to “get out the car” and the officer responds, “I will put one in you…I’m not gonna jump…just stop.”
“I’m not going to do this on a private street,” DeSouza can be heard saying. Then, as Donaldson grabs the steering wheel, DeSouza said, “You’re going to kill us, bro.”
Then, Donaldson can be seen repeatedly striking DeSouza with his service weapon and saying, “I’m warning you, I will shoot your leg,” as he pointed his gun at DeSouza’s leg.
The narrative explains, “Officer Donaldson intentionally shot DeSouza in the leg to reduce the likelihood of a fatality to DeSouza, himself and members of the community. DeSouza’s car collided with a parked car and he fled on foot. DeSouza’s vehicle continued rolling and came to rest in the yard of a nearby home” on the corner of Southwood Way at Field Brook Court.
“Officer Donaldson attempted to transmit on his police radio” saying, “C5, shots fired”, “but it was shut off during the struggle,” the narrative continues. Donaldson then pursued DeSouza on foot.
“Additional officers arrived on scene and located DeSouza about ten minutes after he ran from the car. DeSouza, who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, was found hiding in bushes and was taken into custody without further incident.”
In the video several officers can be seen pointing their weapons at DeSouza while one issued commands to “raise your hands like an airplane” and “don’t move.” As they approached him, DeSouza could be heard yelling, “He shot me. He shot me.”
The narrative continued, “Officers rendered medical aid until the arrival of paramedics. DeSouza was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Officer Donaldson suffered minor injuries during the incident. No other members of the public were injured.”
“As part of the Internal Affairs investigation, a third-party independent investigator will determine whether department policies and procedures were followed,” the video concluded.
Lt. William Whitaker later said, DeSouza “was in the hospital for a while.”
“This incident is under investigation by the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau, in coordination with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, pursuant to the county’s Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident Protocol,” he shared.
Critical Incident Video
A critical incident overview of the incident is linked below.
Refer to critical incident video link:
English – https://youtu.be/5-Sas6KU8VI
Spanish – https://youtu.be/YExVKqCjuPw
Anyone who witnessed the incident or with information regarding the incident, is encouraged to contact Detective Becerra at (925) 779-6937 or via email: abecerra@antiochca.gov or by calling the Investigations Bureau at (925) 779-6926.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, nine-inch tall, 185-pound DeSouza was arrested out of county, is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail but also has bail amounts of $600,000 and $75,000, and his next court appearance is scheduled for June 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Department 4 of the Delta Superior Court in Pittsburg.
According to an Antioch Herald report, at age 19, he and two other teens were arrested in November 2021 with $50,000 of jewelry stolen from a Fairfield store.
According to localcrimenews.com, DeSouza is White and has a history of arrests since 2021 by multiple agencies. His arrest on February 20th was for crimes including resisting, obstructing, delaying a Peace Officer, kidnapping and kidnapping to commit any violation of Codes 211 / 264.1 / 288 / 289 211, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon – no firearm likely great bodily injury to a Peace Officer or Fireman, violation of parole: felony, burglary, grand theft, receiving stolen property – motor vehicle, vandalism of $5,000 or more and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
DeSouza’s 17 other arrests, just two weeks before in Solano County on Feb. 7, 2026, included charges of threats of violence and vandalism; plus, he was arrested previously on multiple charges of assault, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and child endangerment, as well as for grand theft, petty theft, burglary, robbery, drug possession, reckless driving on a public street and evasion with wanton disregard for safety.
the attachments to this post:
DeSouza’s charges by CCCDA
Officers point weapons at DeSouza 02-20-26 Donaldson bodycam
Donaldson punches DeSouza in face 02-20-26
Donaldson points gun at DeSouza 02-20-26
DeSouza crashes into APD car 2nd & 3rd suspects exit store 2-20-26 FM video
3 male occs from car 02-20-26 FoodMaxx surv video
Suspect car into store 02-20-26 FoodMaxx surv video
Suspect car FoodMaxx & Ofcr Donaldson 02-20-26 body cam
