Monterey County District Attorney releases bodycam footage in Marina officer-involved shooting.

Days after the fatal officer-involved shooting in Marina of Seaside resident Ronald Chyron Tinsley during a traffic stop, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni released details and footage of the incident on Thursday, Jan. 22.

According to the dash and body cam footage obtained by the Weekly, while patrolling the neighborhood of Marina Heights at approximately 4:50pm, Sunday, Jan. 18, Marina Police Officer Shivdev Dhillon spotted someone driving a van without a front license plate. He recognized the driver as Tinsley, who Dhillon had arrested in June 2025 for felon in possession of ammunition, according to the DA.

Dhillon then turns around, follows Tinsley and pulls him over for the absence of a front plate, in addition to expired registration tags. After Tinsley pulls over, Dhillon asks him about his expired registration and the lack of a front license plate. In the video, Tinsley can be heard saying he was working toward taking care of both items and was just moving the vehicle. 

Concurrently, two other Marina Police officers responded to the scene, aware that Tinsley had a record, according to the DA. The officers got out of their patrol cars and stood on each side of the van as Dhillon questioned Tinsley, who gave the officer his driver’s license and insurance. 

Dhillon then asks Tinsley who he had just been speaking to on his phone. Tinsley was not talking on his phone during the stop, but the DA noted that Dhillon believed that he saw the name of a woman on his phone screen, who Tinsley had been prohibited from contacting as a result of a felony domestic violence case. 

Tinsley told the officer he was speaking with his mother and did not show him his phone. Dhillon, who, according to a statement released by the DA, regarded Tinsley’s behavior as suspicious, asked him to step out of the car. 

Tinsley asked the officer why stepping out of the vehicle was necessary but initially cooperated. Tinsley removed his seat belt and told Dhillon that he felt like the officer was being “excessive.” Dhillon told him that he was asking him to get out of the car based on his prior convictions, and according to the DA, the officer suspected that Tinsley was armed and that he “was affiliated with, registered, or takes part with” the Crip Street Gang.

Tinsley opened the door but refused to step out of the vehicle. Footage shows a struggle ensued as Dhillon attempted to turn off the van’s ignition. Tinsley then put his foot on the accelerator and drove erratically away down Marina Heights Drive with the officer inside the vehicle. The footage shows Dhillon as he pleaded with Tinsley to stop the car while Tinsley shouted “no” multiple times. 

The van accelerated into a dirt lot and collided with a small embankment where it stopped. When the van took off, the other officers ran to their patrol cars and followed.

Inside the van, Tinsley struck Dhillon in the head repeatedly, according to the DA. When the van stopped, Dhillon saw that Tinsley had an object in his hand wrapped in cloth and as the two struggled, the officer realized it was a gun. 

“If you have a gun, I’m going to shoot you in the back of the head,” Dhillon shouted before yelling toward the other officers that Tinsley had a gun. 

At 4:56pm, Dhillon and one of the other officers fired their firearms once, nearly simultaneously. One of the rounds struck Tinsley and he stopped moving. Approximately 30 seconds elapsed after Tinsley hit the accelerator and the officers fired the shots.

Dhillon began administering medical care, including pressure and seal dressing. Other officers performed CPR. Medics arrived at approximately 5:03pm in an ambulance and administered aid. However, before he could be transported to the hospital, Tinsley was declared deceased.

According to the DA’s statement, methamphetamine was found in Tinsley’s pants pocket, but it is unknown whether use of the substance affected Tinsley’s behavior, and toxicology results are pending. 

An autopsy was performed on Tinsley on Jan. 21, which determined that a single bullet entered his posterior left shoulder and travelled through his aorta. They determined that the round recovered from Tinsley was a .40 caliber round which matched Dhillon’s firearm. 

The investigation is ongoing.