Armed man shot by officers in Hemet backyard

Armed man shot and killed by Hemet officers in own backyard

A woman says her innocent husband was killed by Hemet Police officers who fired at the man who was armed in his backyard.

HEMET, Calif. - An armed man was shot and killed by officers at his home in Riverside County.

The shooting was reported just after 10 a.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of South Harvard Street, located near the intersection of Johnston Avenue and State Street in Hemet.

The Hemet Police Department said officers were conducting a follow-up investigation in the neighborhood regarding a recent theft. While searching the backyard of the South Harvard Street home, officers encountered an armed man in the adjacent backyard.

Officials say the man was unrelated to the initial investigation and a resident of the neighboring home.

According to the police department, officers made contact with the man and an officer-involved shooting occurred. The man, identified by family as Christian Tyler Drye, was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound and later died.

Wife of man killed by Hemet Police say he was innocent

The family of Christian Tyler Drye have hired an attorney just days after the father of five was shot and killed in his backyard by Hemet police.

It is unclear what led to the confrontation and deadly shooting.

The man's wife told reporters he was an innocent victim and a father of five. The family has fired an attorney. They say Christian was ‘wrongfully and brutally murdered’.

The officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave per the department's policy. No officers were injured.

The family of the man has established a GoFundMe campaign to help with expenses.