Cops who shot and killed Tarzan star Ron Ely's son 'acted reasonably' when they fired at him 22 times because they thought he was going to kill them after he stabbed his mom to death, DA finds
Californian investigators have concluded that police were justified in shooting dead the 30-year-old son of Tarzan actor Ron Ely in October 2019, in a ruling which will deeply disappoint the Hollywood star.
Cameron Ely was shot 22 times on the grounds of the family home and died on the scene, with gunshot wounds to his torso, neck, back, buttocks and arms.
A Harvard psychology graduate and talented quarterback, he had fatally stabbed his mother, Valerie Ely, 62.
Cameron Ely, 30, was shot and killed by police in Santa Barbara in October 2019
Ron Ely, Cameron's father, played Tarzan from 1966-68
Ron Ely married Valerie, a former Miss Florida, and they lived at Hope Ranch in Santa Barbara
His 82-year-old father, best known for playing Tarzan from 1966-68, and who was at the Santa Barbara home at the time, called the police.
When officers arrived, around 8:30pm, they set out to search for the 6'5" Cameron in the grounds of the Hope Ranch mansion.
On Tuesday the Office of the Santa Barbara District Attorney released a detailed report into the incident.
They said that sheriff's deputies 'acted reasonably in his/her use of deadly force'.
Officials say in the report, obtained by People, that two deputies encountered a 'disheveled' Cameron on a dark driveway during a search of the 1.5-acre property, with one officer noting that the suspect had a knife wound on his neck.
'Both deputies saw that Ely had blood on him and believed he was the suspect in Valerie's murder,' the report states.
An official is pictured removing the body of Cameron Ely from the scene in October 2019
The Ely's home (pictured) was in Santa Barbara, on 1.5 acres of land
Deputies, arriving at the property around 8:30pm, found Cameron Ely on the grounds
'Both deputies pointed their gun at Ely. At least one of them illuminated him with the light on his firearm.
'The deputies yelled multiple times at Ely to get down on the ground and to keep his hands up.'
They said that the athlete 'suddenly sprang upward' towards the deputies, bending forwards and moving his hand to his waist while yelling: 'I have a gun!'
Cameron was then struck with multiple bullets.
According to the report, Cameron was 'moving and moaning' on the floor when they approached him, and checked for weapons.
They discovered he was unarmed, but did have drugs on him which later turned out to be cocaine.
He also had on him a small plastic bottle labeled liquid vitamins.
Cameron Ely, Ron Ely, Jason (husband of Kaitland), Kaitland Ely, Valerie Ely, Kirsten Ely in 2016
Cameron Ely pictured with his Hollywood veteran father on Cameron's MySpace page
Cameron Ely graduated from Harvard with a psychology degree
'All four deputies reported that they feared Ely had a weapon until the point they handcuffed him, turned him onto his back, and pat searched him,' the report continues.
'The medics arrived very quickly because they had been staging on the street by the top of the driveway. Medics pronounced Ely dead on-scene.'
Cameron's father, Ron, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office for its alleged role in the death of both Cameron and Valerie.
One of the most recent photos of Cameron shows him at his sister Kaitland’s 2016 wedding.
The lawsuit claimed that Cameron was trying to surrender to police before they shot him, and that the five officers failed to provide swift medical assistance to Valerie.
'The reprehensible conduct of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department Deputies was egregious, entirely unreasonable, and, accordingly, unconstitutional,' the claim alleged.
It was unclear how Cameron spent his time.
Records show he was licensed as a security guard, according to the LA Times.
Ron Ely, now 82, has filed a suit alleging wrongful death and misconduct by sheriffs
Ron Ely in the 1960s took on one of Hollywood's most coveted roles, playing Tarzan
No comments: