Troy Franklin, 43, was arrested Thursday after allegedly shooting a birthday party attendee and later ramming an undercover police vehicle during a dramatic Fresno pursuit.
Officers rushed to the area of Olive Avenue and Lucerne Avenue in Fresno on Aug. 9 after multiple shots rang out, according to the Fresno Police Department. The suspect was taken into custody following a chase that ended with Franklin crashing and fleeing on foot.
The victim told police he had been celebrating his birthday on Sunday with several people near the intersection when a Black Chevy suddenly pulled away from the curb. The car’s lone occupant, Franklin, allegedly confronted the birthday reveler before opening fire.
One of the bullets grazed the victim’s left ankle. He managed to escape and drove to Second Street and Orleans Avenue to call for help.
The injured man was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. But the shooting didn’t end there.
As the victim ran from the scene, one of the people celebrating with him allegedly fired back at Franklin in an apparent act of self-defense. Detectives were able to identify the suspect with automated license plate readers, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On Thursday morning, members of the department’s Street Violence Bureau Tactical Team spotted the suspect near First Avenue and Nees Avenue as he left a business and climbed into a vehicle.
When detectives moved in to arrest him, Franklin allegedly rammed an undercover police vehicle and sped away.
The chase then barreled toward Barstow Avenue and Millbrook Avenue, with Fresno police’s Air1 helicopter keeping eyes on the fleeing suspect from above.
Franklin’s getaway came to a screeching halt when he crashed into a parked vehicle, police said. But he apparently wasn’t ready to surrender.
Franklin allegedly jumped out of the wrecked vehicle and took off running, only to be quickly surrounded and captured with help from Air1, tactical officers, the Career Criminal Auto Theft Team, K-9 officers and Northeast Patrol officers.
Franklin is expected to be booked into the Fresno County Jail on charges stemming from the shooting, as well as felony assault on a peace officer.
In the viral moment that sparked the manhunt, a simple birthday gathering near Olive and Lucerne avenues turned violent when Franklin allegedly pulled up in his Black Chevy and confronted the group. The victim, who had been enjoying his celebration with friends, suffered only a graze wound to his left ankle but the incident escalated into a broader exchange of gunfire. One of the partygoers returned fire at Franklin in what authorities described as self-defense, adding another layer of complexity to the investigation before detectives used license plate reader technology to identify their suspect.
The arrest required coordination across multiple Fresno Police Department units, demonstrating the department’s reliance on combined air and ground assets for suspect apprehension. The involvement of the Career Criminal Auto Theft Team alongside tactical officers and K-9 units suggests Franklin may have been on law enforcement’s radar prior to this incident.
Franklin’s court proceedings are expected to begin in Fresno County.