A 24-year-old Ceres man mounted a rooftop in Modesto Wednesday evening to take aim at Sheriff’s deputies after fleeing a traffic stop before turning his weapon on himself.
Aaron Osgood was pulled over for reckless driving on Yosemite Boulevard and N. Santa Cruz Avenue in Modesto at approximately 10:54 p.m. Osgood ran from his vehicle into an adjacent business in the 100 block of Empire Avenue. Other deputies arrived on scene and established a perimeter around the business. Deputies spotted Osgood on the roof of a warehouse and a drone confirmed his presence. Images from the drone told deputies that Osgood was crawling to different areas of the rooftop as he ignored commands to surrender.
At 11:15 p.m. Osgood crawled to the edge of the roof facing in the direction of several deputies and fired three shots at them. Deputies immediately took cover but were unable to return fire. At that moment Osgood fired a fourth shot which ended his life.
Immediately following the shooting and calls of shots being fired went out on the radio channel, approximately 10 officers from the Modesto and Ceres police departments responded to the scene to assist the 10 deputies already assembled there.
Uncertain that Osgood was dead, a team of deputies and police officers tried to make contact with Osgood. A fire department ladder truck rolled to the scene to give officers access to the rooftop, which was slick with frost. When they reached him at 12:19 a.m. deputies confirmed Osgood was deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The firearm near his right hand turned out to be stolen, along with the vehicle he was driving.
A records check revealed Osgood had several felony arrest warrants.
On Feb. 11, 2019 Osgood led Ceres police on a high-speed chase from Ceres to Merced County with a pregnant passenger aboard. That incident started when he was seen running a stop sign and ended when his engine seized up while on southbound Highway 99 at Hammett Road south of Livingston. Osgood was arrested and charged with evading arrest and driving on a suspended driver’s license.
A social media post indicated that friends were planning to gather at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Ceres Skate Park to celebrate his life.
He leaves behind his mother, Faith Sheley of Ceres.
