Ricardo Alfonso Cerna
Encyclopedia
Ricardo Alfonso Cerna was a Guatemala
n immigrant to the United States
known for committing suicide
in 2003 with a gun in an interrogation room in the San Bernardino County
Sheriff
's office in Muscoy, California
. A videotape was running and recorded the event. He was 47 years old.
Sitting alone in an interrogation room, Cerna shot himself in the temple at point-blank range
with a .45-caliber handgun
he had hidden in the front of his pants. The event was recorded on the security surveillance camera
in the room. Although Cerna died instantly, his mouth and temple bled extensively.
The Sheriff's Department showed the security camera footage to the media the next day. To avoid sensationalism, only a limited amount of selected reporters were permitted for viewing. Although the police tried to control access, the footage was leaked.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n immigrant to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
known for committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 2003 with a gun in an interrogation room in the San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
's office in Muscoy, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. A videotape was running and recorded the event. He was 47 years old.
Background
Cerna was stopped by Sheriff's Deputy Michael Parham for a traffic violation on December 19, 2003. He attempted to escape in his car and then later on foot. During the pursuit, he shot Parham twice in the abdomen, but the wound was not fatal. Cerna was arrested shortly afterward. The San Bernardino Police, the county sheriff, and the California Highway Patrol were all involved in the chase, but during his apprehension, no one ensured he was properly searched.Sitting alone in an interrogation room, Cerna shot himself in the temple at point-blank range
Point-blank range
In external ballistics, point-blank range is the distance between a firearm and a target of a given size such that the bullet in flight is expected to strike the target without adjusting the elevation of the firearm. The point-blank range will vary with the firearm and its particular ballistic...
with a .45-caliber handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
he had hidden in the front of his pants. The event was recorded on the security surveillance camera
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
in the room. Although Cerna died instantly, his mouth and temple bled extensively.
The Sheriff's Department showed the security camera footage to the media the next day. To avoid sensationalism, only a limited amount of selected reporters were permitted for viewing. Although the police tried to control access, the footage was leaked.