Former deputy who killed himself with Fresno Police gun ‘was let go,’ sheriff confirms

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The former deputy who shot himself with a Fresno Police officer’s gun inside a Fresno hospital was previously found to be doing “parody police videos” and using a fake Madera County Sheriff’s Office ID, according to Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue.

Sheriff Pogue revealed new details to YourCentralValley.com about Isaac Hare, the man who managed to get a Fresno Police officer’s gun and shoot himself inside Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center.

According to Fresno Police, Hare attacked an officer, disarmed him, and then shot himself in the head. Hare was taken to the hospital after he was tased while resisting arrest, which protocol required officers to do.

While the investigation into Monday’s incident continues, Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue says he does not think anybody would have expected or anticipated this.

“I feel terrible for our brothers, sisters over at the Fresno Police Department and what they’ve had to deal with. Extremely sad situation as well as for Mr. Hare’s family,” said Sheriff Pogue. 

Pogue says they hired Hare straight from the Fresno Police Academy in December of 2016. Deputies are then put on a one-year probation period before they are officially hired full-time. Documentation from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training confirms the same information.

Hare, however, did not complete that process and was let go after eight months with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.

“We didn’t provide him a reason. And after talking to my colleagues, none of us can remember a specific reason as to why he was let go,” said Pogue.

Sheriff Pogue was a commander at that time and would have been the one to tell Hare that he would not be moving forward with the department.

“I believe he actually gave us a hug when he departed. So he didn’t depart on bad terms,” said Pogue.

But that wouldn’t be the last time the 32-year-old crossed paths with the sheriff’s office. A few months after he left the Madera County Sheriff’s Office in September 2017, Pogue says he was caught using a fake Madera County Sheriff’s ID.

“We did take his original I.D. card, badge and everything else.”

Pogue says he didn’t meet all the requirements to be charged for impersonating an officer, but deputies did take the fake card.

Again in 2022, Sheriff Pogue says a movie producer from Los Angeles called the office, reporting that Hare had yet another fake Madera County ID.

“He was kind of doing parody police videos,” Pogue explained. 

After Fresno Police searched Hare’s home, they reported finding multiple firearms, ammo, police uniforms, and police equipment. Pogue says it would’ve been easy to buy the police gear using those fake IDs.

If you’re ever not sure that someone is a real law enforcement officer, Sheriff Pogue encourages you to call the agency they say they’re with and confirm their name and/or ID number.