FRESNO, Calif.  (KSEE/KGPE) – The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office provided an update Friday on the investigation into the shooting death of a Selma Police officer, revealing that the weapon used to shoot Officer Gonzalo Carrasco was a ghost gun.

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni says around 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, a homeowner flagged down Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco as he was patrolling the 2600 block of Pine Street in Selma. She alerted him to a suspicious man being on her property.

Officer Carrasco got out of his patrol vehicle and tried to contact the man, later identified as Nathaniel Dixon. As Carrasco approached, Dixon immediately fired several shots from what Sheriff Zanoni says was a 223 assault rifle ghost gun, striking Officer Carrasco.

Dixon then took off running while still armed with his gun. A citizen dialed 911 and told dispatchers someone had shot an officer. He was transported to a local hospital. He was taken to surgery and later passed away.

Dixon made his first court appearance Friday morning. A Fresno County Judge denied bail for Dixon. Court records show that the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges of murder – first-degree and possession of a firearm by a felon. Both charges are classified as felonies.

Carrasco was the first police officer killed in the line of duty, in the Selma Police Department’s 130 years. Carrasco joined the force in 2021 and was described as an upbeat, enthusiastic, and friendly officer and person.