Inyo County Sheriff’s Office press release
At approximately 3:23AM on August 26, 2016 during routine patrol in the Bishop area, an Inyo County Sheriff’s Deputy was flagged down on Winuba Lane by a female who reported that she was the victim of domestic violence.
Ray Bencoma
The victim said that the suspect was Raymond Bencoma III; Bencoma (a 41-year old Bishop man) is a parolee and is known to law enforcement through his past violent crimes. The Inyo County Sheriff’s Deputy requested back-up assistance; Bishop Police and CHP responded.
As the Deputy approached the home where Bencoma was reported to be staying, the suspect appeared from behind an out-building and pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the Sheriff’s Deputy.
The Deputy fired and struck the suspect. The suspect was transported to Northern Inyo Hospital for emergency treatment and was subsequently flown out. A loaded handgun was recovered at the scene.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with the Bishop Paiute Tribal Police, and both agencies are working together. The Inyo County Sheriff’ Office and Inyo County District Attorney’s Office are currently investigating the officer involved shooting.
“This incident is not representative of our County or our Community,” said Inyo County Undersheriff Jeff Hollowell. This sentiment was echoed by the Bishop Tribal Chairman, Deston Rogers: “This incident is unfortunate, but the safety of our Community is paramount.”
Additional information will be released as the investigation continues.
# # # # # #
Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News - The Community's News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
is this the guy they used to call snuffleuupagus?
I’ll give you that Stoopid. It does bother me that most of what the original press release states is now being denied by the sheriff dept. But I still have little sympathy for this guy.
Cause everything you read in the media is true, right?!?!
has anyone read the sheet news on this story? turns out they were not on routune patrol, thet were not flagged down, there was no DV, and their camwras were off. how conveinant for LE. now what smart ones.
For those of us who haven’t been in trouble with the law, the story makes perfect sense actually. Lays out how the shooting was justified by the deputy. Tribal members have complained repeatedly the sheriff ain’t responding fast enough to calls on the res. So now that a call gets a rapid response, it’s bad from some people’s view because a known, convicted felon was shot because he pointed a gun at a deputy. Shouldn’t you be asking the convicted felon why he had a gun and why be aimed it at a cop? Something to think about there!
Any rational, normal thought proccessing person would realize that a person who is under the infuence, who was in a car that had just gone off a cliff and into a river in the middle of the night, and who suffered moderate injuries, probably is not capable of making sound descisions. get real. I may be stoopid, but not nearly as stoopid as all of you for assuming you know everything. How do you know he hit a woman? How do you know he had a gun? Your belief is based on faith not fact. You believe everything you hear. It doesnt get any stoopider than that.
Raymond Bancoma is a monster and got what he deserved!!!
Hey stoopid….If your making these stoopid comments to see how many “thumbs down ” your gonna get,shame on you….if your not,and actually thinking the way your posting,are you trying to blame the 13 year old VICTIM because she happened to be out at night and therefore responsible for her own death ?….the judgement she maybe lacked was getting in a vehicle wanting a ride home from Ray Bencoma….probably unaware he was intoxicated and probably high on dope,and planning to elude Law Enforcement if he happened to get pulled over….when you state it “doesn’t make him a monster”,what he did AFTER the accident that night made him a monster…and his behavior after that night….over the years….made him a monster…you know and I know,and everyone else that know him knows he won’t learn from this latest episode with the shooting a few days ago….hopefully,he’ll get MANY years in prison ,and gets out an old man….but when he does get out someday,hopefully not in my lifetime to see it,100 % chance his face will be on this site again and all over the newspaper for doing some assault or abuse probably to the person dumb enough to be waiting for him ..and hopefully not something that will end in her death or ANOTHER innocent persons death…..again..we’ll see if he’s found “not guilty” of the charges he’ll be facing this time around…..cause my bet is the charges this time are going to be hard and heavy.
Stoopid…he hit a woman…stoopid…he pointed a gun at a cop…….stoopid……. he got what he deserved. & …like you….too, stoopid.
Stoopid..is..when you point a gun at a cop and expect a hug.
I appologize to the Bone family and mean no disrespect. If my numbers are wrong, i am sorry it was a long time ago. I understand that their are hard feelings for him, i wouldnt wish the loss of a child on anyone. I maintain my beleif that ray was not solely responsible for this girls death. It didnt happen in the middle of the day. Where was she in the middle of the night and why did she need a ride, from someone other than her parents? They were all young, and like most teenagers, lacked better judgement, it does not make him a monster. If he was found guilty on all other charges, he would still be in prison. Apparently, he was not guilty as charged.
Another Stoopid comment. You completely blamed the victim. It doesn’t matter what time of day it happened. It doesn’t matter why she needed a ride. He is responsible for her death and he is a monster.
Accidents happen. People make mistakes. All people. A car accident is not malicious or intentional. I am not defending his actions. Several factors contributed to the tragic accident, not Bencomas actions alone. No parent should ever have to bury their child. Unfortunatly, it happens. She got into the car at her own free will. It is all in the past. Is this the reason for the shooting?
Evading police is not an accident, it IS intentional.
“It happens”? Really, that’s what you’re going with, “it happens”?
“It is all in the past.” Not for Kara Bone.
No, Stoopid,
The shooting was a result of his own actions.
Hardly anyone but those who loved Kristina even remembered his actions that horrible night which resulted in that child’s death.
Most people on this conversation did not remember it or had ever heard of it. I doubt if the Sheriffs Deputy had ever even heard of it.
Again, HIS ACTIONS.( Ray Bencoma 111’s.)………..brought this all back to mind.
The reason for the shooting is pointing a loaded gun at a law enforcement officer. That sounds stoopid to me.
Not of its the same judge that KEEPS LETTING THESE GUYS OUT !
Or DA
He was also arrested years ago for breaking into an ex-girlfriend, mother of his child’s house and cutting her with a knife! Absolutely unbelievable that this violent criminal was even on the streets to beat on yet another woman! Looking like he’s going to survive this and hope he’s locked up for life now!!!!
…UNBELIEVABLE what I’m seeing,hearing and reading about this guys past criminal history…and even more unbelievable is how our court system has handled his years and years of law breaking…and on top of that,unbelievable some of the excuses and blaming others are making for his actions and behavior…..you bet what he did 20 years ago with Kristina Bone is going to be brought up now….and the alleged knife attack on his child’s Mother….and the past cases of domestic abuse….and the incident that took place this last February….now this….what the hell is wrong with our court system ?…..what’s it going to take to get this guy locked up and off the streets for a VERY long time ?….and the excuses being made….MY GOD !!..it was the Sheriffs fault for chasing him in a stolen car when he had the accident that caused the death of a 13 year old girl….the previous domestic violence never really took place…and now with this shooting….it was the cops fault…they were laying in wait to ambush him….they should’ve shot him in the foot..they had it out for him….he was doing nothing wrong…and of course,now the talk of a lawsuit against the ICSO for what happened…Doesn’t it make you wish this was the olden days,maybe like 1885 Bodie ?…..this problem would’ve been solved long ago,with that first incident involving the death of Kristina Bone….how that would have been handled back then would have been the end of a problem for a lot of people for a very long time.Something tells me this latest incident is going to FINALLY do it….let’s hope so….there’s been too many victims…too many excuses… for way too long.
Where is the link to the Kristina Bone incident? Did Bencoma serve any time for this cowardly act, causing an innocent girl to lose her life…
Can we start a gofundme account to give the deputies more ammo and time at the gun range??
You know I’m sorry but making excuses for Ray his whole life is exactly why he is the coward that he is today and was 20 years ago so if I was his family I would stop and make him finally own up to his actions quit blaming the police for everything Ray does wake up and snapp back to reality ray and only ray has put him self here
Shame on all of you for bringing this up. The accident that occurred 20yrs ago, was just that. An accident. He did not intentionally kill anyone. I always wondered why law enforcement TRAINED to respond to all kinds of situations, would engage in a high speed chase, givin the circumbstances. Why were they chasing him? Any one who is familiar with that road, knows there is only one way out. Where was he gunna go? Knowing there was passingers in the car, LE could have easily blocked the road, instead of chasing him, endangering the lives of everyone involved. What started out as a nonemergency situation turned deadly, not only because of Rays descision, but also because of how LE handled the situation. Had LE responded differently, Kristina Bones death could have been prevented. People dont plan accidents. Ray served 7 years of the 14yr sentence he received and has to live with what he has done for the rest of his life. He paid his debt to society. This incident that just occured is completly seperate from and has nothing to do with something that happened 20 years ago. Society wants Ray to keep paying and paying, long after he served the imposed sentence that he was givin. We are all human. We all make mistakes. Nothing is going to change what happened in the past. If there is any truth to the alligations made by LE, in regards to the shooting, then there will be evidence. So far, we have not been given any evidence. I have no reason to believe any of the information stated in the press release is true and have every reason to believe that LE shot ray in retaliation for something that happened many years ago. Based on all of the comments, the discrimination that is shown toward Ray, within this community could not be any more obvious.
…what Kara said.
Get your facts straight he got sentenced to four years served 2
He didn’t over correct raymond turned his head lights off to try and out run police when he went off the cliff and ended up in river he not only tryed to run but put his hand over my sister’s friends mouth so she couldn’t yell out for help when the police where trying to help he knew she was in the car still she could have been saved the only reason she was in his stolen car was because she and her friend needed a ride home he didn’t take them home he decided he had to cruise the rez
I apologize for the misunderstandings of the incident! But yes, he could have helped her out of that car! Did he go to prison for that Kara?
Yes 2 years for our early
I just love stories with a happy ending.
RIP KRISTINA ALWAYS THINKING OF YOU GIRL…..
Tracy….Is there a link to the incident involving Kristina Bone ?…curious what happened.
Ray was driving a car that Kristina was a passenger In when he over corrected and crashed into the canal (I think). He took off and left her to drown. She was a sweet soul of a child and deserved more then to be left like trash like he has treated every other girl he’s ever been around. May you RIP Kristina Bone…
That’s the most cowardly thing I have ever heard of. Especially for a man. Hate is a awful thing , but I could never forgive a person for that.
I’m not a big fan of the way our justice system works, but this guys doesn’t deserve any sympathy.
…trouble….after reading the circumstances on the Kristina Bone death,I’m 100 % in agreement with you on this one….again,I have to ask….how did the court system handle it 20 years ago ?….how many other crimes has he committed since then ?…..after the assault and ANOTHER domestic abuse charge back in February of THIS year,why in the hell is he out walking the streets ?…I was always saying his behavior is eventually going to lead to the death of an innocent person…..that already happened…..20 plus years ago….and now,20 years later,after years of wrecking havoc between then and now,how much do you want to bet….$10.00 to a donut….6 months from now,we’ll be seeing his mug on the Sheriffs citizen RIMS page for yet ANOTHER arrest….and still some people defending him and saying Law Enforcement is “picking on him “…..
Actually, he was being chased by the sheriff on Chalk Bluff Road and went off the cliff there into the Owens River.
..Doesn’t California have a “three-strike” law ?…..it sometimes seems,as with this one,it must be more like a “twenty-strike” law….
cry babys on the left said it was too harsh.
@Wally M,
You might want to look a little deeper. There were a number of prominent conservatives and top law enforcement folks who publicly supported the the modifications to the 3 strikes law with prop 36.
link?
I am glad this man has FINALlY gotten a portion of justice. He’s responsible for the death of my young granddaughter Kristina Bone. I wish he could get TOTAL justice. A man with no remorse who never changed.
May I ask what happened to Kristina?
This is the man who took our Kristina from us we hoped he would change his life and do better for man kind but as we read not to long ago he did the same thing and now hopefully the justice system gets it right he needs to be locked up forever i pray that no one else will have to bury someone for his selfishness. We pray for the family.
In loving memory for Kristina Bone.
The Bone family
This bad guy needs help and maybe getting shot by LE is just the start, I too have seen him on the Sheriffs Dept RIMS website on numerous occasions as well. I’m glad nobody else was injured and I hope the deputy doesn’t lose too much sleep because we need his butt back on duty keeping the streets safe.
I believe there is another person with the same last name that people are confusing their past history here with. I googled it.
Trouble….yep….and he amazingly looks exactly the same as this guy..and on another site,ALREADY talk of a lawsuit being brought on by the family coming against the ICSO…….how surprising…
Low, I didn’t mean to judge , criticize or offend anyone one this topic.
https://thereal395.com/four-arrested-after-standoff/
I miss Benett’s commentary, always the voice of reason.
so glad that all LE are ok physically…the shooting deputy will most likely have nightmare for a long time. When someone chooses to point a gun at a police officer they have just sealed their own fate, if this guy lives he’ll be lucky and hopefully be jailed for a long time to come. Lets not forget folks, if this guy hadn’t beaten a female, hadn’t pointed a gun at a police officer he’d most likely be at home instead of in the hospital. I personally don’t feel sorry for this Ray dude or his family, he made the decision to be an idiot and those who say he made a mistake, his mistake was being an idiot instead of productive member of society.
Such a cold heart we the family of Ray pray for you and remember we don’t need your pitty we have the truth just because the media says he pointed a gun does not make it true after internal affairs and bureau of Indian affairs finishes investigation and clears this officer for taking a kill shot on an unarmed man who was falsely accused of domestic violence you can talk all the bullshit you want????
It’s not the media, these are press releases given to the media, by the Sheriff dept. Call the media and tell them what you know. I’m sure they would love to print your story.
Margo Ortiz— how do you KNOW he was falsely accused of domestic violence? The fact is, he has a past history of that same crime. He has a past history of a lot of crimes. He must have been doing something he knew was wrong otherwise, why hide from the police? Why arm himself?
So you are saying that HE is the victim here? What makes you think he was singled out for who he is rather than him singling out law enforcement for who they are? He pointed his weapon at the cops first. That’s a threat. Had an unarmed Tribal Officer shown up, he/she would have not had a way to protect themselves or the victim (let’s not forget the victim he was abusing). Pepper spray won’t stop a bullet.
Just because it was on tribal land, doesn’t give him the right to commit violent crimes and not be held responsible for it. If he pointed a loaded gun at the officer (one was found where he was standing), then he’s going to get shot himself.
Deflecting away from the crime he was committing and trying to make him into the victim because the non tribal law enforcement was involved, does not excuse that he was fully responsible for the outcome. He brought it on himself. He wasn’t just sitting on the front porch minding his own business and the cop came up and shot him. Why are you excusing HIS actions? The victim (the woman) had every right to have protection, just like all his past victims.
And just because you say…it is not true…does not make it fictional…did you see the ENTIRE incident? No…then sit down… and we’ll shut it.
No I’m sure he’s innocent in every crime he’s ever committed. He’s an outstanding member of society. Haha I wonder who handles his investments? PLEASE! I just threw up in my mouth because your comment made me sick! This douche has been terrorizing people for too long. I pray that he goes to prison for life and the inmates find out he murdered a child and beats women. If you condone this behavior than you’re no better yourself. You’re blinded.
Margo Ortiz, you seem ignorant about the law where the tribe is concerned. California is a PL 280 state, where the county sheriff and CHP have criminal jurisdiction on the reservation. The BIA has no authority in law enforcement here.
The latest story from The Sheet in Mammoth demonstrated that the shooting on the known, convicted felon was justified. That’s because the felon had, in his hands, a firearm.
A felon in possession of a firearm is a serious felony. This means he may well be going away for life, if he is convicted, since he’s got 2 strikes already.
This should clear things up for you. Innocent until proven guilty. That don’t mean he’ll always be innocent though.
Law enforcement is a hard enough profession, without the threat of losing one’s life. And yet, each day, here and across out country, the outstanding law enforcement officer’s go to work, protecting and serving, you and I. Thank you, Inyo County Sheriff’s Department, Bishop Police Department, California Highway Patrol. I cannot think of another profession in which you show up for work, not knowing if you will make it home that day, that shift. My sincerest thanks to you all. And to the deputy involved, Thank God you are safe. Your training paid off in the most important way possible.
Not to take anything away from the deputy, he did a great job. I doubt he will have any nightmares, it was him or the bad guy, and the good guy won. But law enforcement isn’t even in the top 10 most dangerous jobs. Loggers, crab fisherman , pilots ,roofers, and farmers are the top 5. Law enforcement comes in at #12. The dangers are ALWAYS there, every minute of every day, but just like all jobs , it is a CHOSEN profession, no one is forced to wear a badge. Men and women who do, do so as a choice, knowing the dangers that what comes with the job when they sign on . Again, a GREAT job by the deputy.
Who would leave a “dislike” to what you posted? Amazing….
This guy Bencoma has been nothing but trouble for years. With his criminal past, he should have never been out on the streets. We need much tougher sentencing for these worthless repeat convicts.
This guy was trouble! I hope the lawman can now keep his life together.
why wouldn’t he?? he was doing his job..this wouldn’t be a life changing event..
This guy is on the Inyo County Sheriff citizen RIMS page (due to his incidents and arrests ) I feel like I know the guy….maybe this time he’ll get more than a slap on the wrist from our court system….BEFORE he kills some innocent person…..some people just don’t belong walking the streets of our little towns up here.
He already had killed an innocent victim a 13 year old girl named Kristina Bone my sister she would have been 34 this December finally I can live the rest of my life not hating him glad the bishop pd finally got rid of this scum bag
Two Inyo County Juries have let him walk already. I hope they recognize him.
Best News I have heard and read all week!!! Glad no LE’s were injured.
Best news? Really? I’m also very glad to hear that none of our local law enforcement officers were injured in this confrontation. But’s it’s never good news hearing that a situation escalated to the use of deadly force. Unfortunate for everyone involved.