Mother haunted by phone call: 'I heard my son being killed'
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SEATTLE -- A mother is now haunted by a phone call with her son in where she heard the gun shots that took his life.
Antoinette Cisneros was on the phone with her son Santiago when a shootout started with police at a Portland parking garage.
"I was there," she said. "I heard my son being killed."
Last Monday, two police officers in northeast Portland said they came upon 32-year-old Santiago Cisneros, who was armed with a shotgun, on the top of a parking garage.
His mom says he sounded calm on the line, but didn't make sense.
"He said to me, 'Mom, they're forcing me to go higher. They're forcing me to go higher,' " Antoinette Cisneros said.
Investigators say Santiago Cisneros got out of his car with a shotgun and fired on officers. His mom could still hear him talking on the open phone line.
"And he said, 'Mom, forgive me. I love you. I love you mom. Forgive me.' I said, 'Hago. Hago I love you.' "
Officers returned fire and Cisneros was hit. He died later at a hospital.
KOMO News interviewed Cisneros in 2009. The Army combat veteran talked about his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and attempting suicide.
A family member says an officer involved in the shooting also has trouble in her background. Surveillance video shows officer Michele Boer off-duty at a Portland restaurant in 2010, moments before her arrest for assault. Ultimately, a grand jury declined to indict her.
"I have no hate," Antoinette Cisneros said. "I'm here because of the love for my son."
Santiago Cisneros apparently spent his final days outside Portland city hall at a homeless protest, where he'd begun to give away his belongings. His mother says he simply loved humanity.
"But my son died, his last words: 'I love you mom, k?' "
The two Portland officers are on standard, paid leave while the shooting is investigated. Antoinette Cisneros asks that people not judge her son before that investigation is complete.
Antoinette Cisneros was on the phone with her son Santiago when a shootout started with police at a Portland parking garage.
"I was there," she said. "I heard my son being killed."
Last Monday, two police officers in northeast Portland said they came upon 32-year-old Santiago Cisneros, who was armed with a shotgun, on the top of a parking garage.
His mom says he sounded calm on the line, but didn't make sense.
"He said to me, 'Mom, they're forcing me to go higher. They're forcing me to go higher,' " Antoinette Cisneros said.
Investigators say Santiago Cisneros got out of his car with a shotgun and fired on officers. His mom could still hear him talking on the open phone line.
"And he said, 'Mom, forgive me. I love you. I love you mom. Forgive me.' I said, 'Hago. Hago I love you.' "
Officers returned fire and Cisneros was hit. He died later at a hospital.
KOMO News interviewed Cisneros in 2009. The Army combat veteran talked about his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and attempting suicide.
A family member says an officer involved in the shooting also has trouble in her background. Surveillance video shows officer Michele Boer off-duty at a Portland restaurant in 2010, moments before her arrest for assault. Ultimately, a grand jury declined to indict her.
"I have no hate," Antoinette Cisneros said. "I'm here because of the love for my son."
Santiago Cisneros apparently spent his final days outside Portland city hall at a homeless protest, where he'd begun to give away his belongings. His mother says he simply loved humanity.
"But my son died, his last words: 'I love you mom, k?' "
The two Portland officers are on standard, paid leave while the shooting is investigated. Antoinette Cisneros asks that people not judge her son before that investigation is complete.
why can't the cops, who are trained shooters, shoot to maime rather than kill? I always ask myself that. No blame here...just makes more sense to me. such a sad story all the way around. :( I think the government should take care of the Vets for life....they put their life on the line for the government and I think they deserve that. Not just medical...but whatever they need. take it from the politicians pay...they make so much more than the military men and women but do much less honorable work. just my opinion.
@Nyliret I agree. They are trained marksmen, stay back and shoot a leg or a shoulder, and I agree about taking care of our vets
@Nyliret There was a very interesting article in Time magazine about what happens with police when they are in a shooting situation. One professional firearms trainer said that when the police are on the firing range they average 70 some percent accuracy. However, when faced with someone firing at them that accuracy drops to about 18%. Once the adrenalin kicks in the ability to control oneself seems to go out the window. Unlike our military that trains in situations that very much simulate live fire situations, and even sometimes train in live fire situations, the police have little or no direct training in this. Get on the firing range and shoot at a stationary target a few feet away is a piece of cake compared to being shot at while shooting back. It's absolutely nothing like the TV shows.
The US government makes me sick to my stomach.Â
He should have never been in Iraq. Bush should be in jail.
"where he'd begun to give away his belongings." This is often one of the things a person does who is seriously contemplating suicide, red flag, red flag. No question in my mind that we know way too little about PTSD and how to treat those who come home from horrible war situations suffering from it.
...was this a case of PTSD suicide by Police gun fire?  Effectively he could not kill himself, so he acted in a violent fashion, fired threatening shots at the policemen, committing the police to return fire and get himself killed. Suicide by police gun fire?
Change the title...Mom hears son attempt to kill police to resolve his personal issues.
@K00lGuy Cold
@mac14 @K00lGuy - But true.
I hope she leads a crusade for those that come home from war with PTSD. It would really shine a light on this issue.
The man was a vet who suffered from PTSD. We owed him more.
@mac14 Yes we did, but at the same time he couldn't be allowed to hurt or kill someone. I am the daughter of a Vietnam Vet and the step daughter of a Gulf war Vet, I have seen PTSD at its worst- the little help our Vets get after fighting for our right and our freedom is nothing more than one more slap in the face.Â
My heart is breaking for the mom. I couldn't even imagine what she is going through.
My sympathy will always go out to a mother who looses her child. I'm sure this thing has been picked apart and rehashed until everyone is very tired, but at some point I hope this mother can find some peace. Regardless of what her son may or may not have done, this mother is hurting after his loss.
I won't judge your son even when the investigation is complete, good or bad. The dead deserve no less.
@ETSubmariner ETSubmariner, that is is great comment.Â
Why the spotlight on the officer? Irrelevant.
Thoughtful of him to call Ma.
@bagsofdirtWhy is the spot light irrelevant? The officer's issues need to be brought up. It would seem only fair given some one is dead now. The shooting is being investigated while the cop is on paid leave and court records are public knowledge. Also a police officer is a public servant. When you don't properly handle the position given to you then that is the public's business. That info is public info and we have the right to know the full story. Our tax money will pay for it I am sure.
@Michelle Arnott @bagsofdirt - How is it that the officer "didn't properly handle the situation?" Sadly, this young man forced her hand.Â
Sad all the way around. I'm sure the cop's did not want to shoot him but had to.
Bring up a speck of dust on one of the involved officers is pretty low even for you KOMO.
He certainly had more than PTSD. The real culprit mental heath. The gorilla in the room no one wants talk about.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health issue that can cause serious issues, like this death for instance, Look it up in the glossary of any psych 100 book. Facing an assault charge is definitely not a "speck of dust either", Rodney King's beating was an assault and brutal at best. If she has a history of violence or any "dirt" the public has the right to know it.
@Gunnartheviking I disagree. I don't think the officer's incident was a speck of dust. First of all how she got away with that is amazing to me. Secondly, when I read the article I take that as they were trying to show that ANYONE can have ptsd or problems with mental health.
I think it is a long reach. An argument in a bar to shoting at cops. It inflames the public at large. we already know anyone can have mental heath problems.
@Gunnartheviking It was not an argument, it was assault, it was caught on camera, and she was arrested.
@Gunnartheviking I do see your point. However, I was angling toward the "anything is possible" point with ptsd/mental health. Something as innocent as a bar fight to something as severe as shooting at officers. Or KOMO could just be saving time by combining the stories. You know if they didn't say it now someone else would come out with the officer's story and then KOMO would have to write ANOTHER article and you know how hard that is.....
@Gunnartheviking if a cop has a problem in the past, then it should be brought up.
@Darla Curry Sampson Stupid..... He shot first end of storie!
@jakfb @Darla Curry Sampson If he did shot first, we do not know for sure. all we have is the very brief outline by cops. Were there other no cop witnesses?
and how is it relevant to this? ... It is not,... it is called defamation of character..Â
In the investigation yes. In the press when charges were dismissed. Not so much.
@Madclown @Darla Curry Sampson I do not hate cops, I just want them to be held accountable when they are bad, not be protected by their union and cover up the misbehavior
@Darla Curry Sampson -wow, that is a pretty ignorant statement, but then again you can't expect too much from a cop-hater.
@Gunnartheviking just because the grand jury didn't charge her doesn't mean she didn't do it, just means she had a good lawyer and union.
sad, either way, sad
Media parasites at it again.Â
A more accurate headline quote would have been:
'I heard my son commit suicide'I had the same thing happen to me with King County Police, I talked to my son just shortly before they killed him and I heard the gun shots. I grieve along with this mother for her loss.
Ah. If nothing else, we at least know the basis for your anti-police attitude. Won't stop you from calling 911 in the future though I'm willing to bet.
@PilonidalCyst actually it will stop me from calling 911. I can not trust who will come.
As I recall from her interview last night she mentioned that his last words were "I'm sorry....."...if he didn't do anything wrong then why was he apologizing. Â I believe he fired first. Â Nowadays I don't blame anyone for protecting themselves from these weirdo's out in the world.
@Whocares he is sorry he is about to die and cause pain to the mother.Â
@Darla Curry Sampson @Whocares what about the pain he caused the officer's for having to defend themselves and then live with the aftermath? ie: internet trolls posting idiotic statements. This is a sad story, I feel for everyone involved. Yet, you focus on somehow making this the officer's fault for defending themselves??
@1opinionÂ
 At least I have the courage to use my own name and display it on my comments (unlike other cowards)@1opinion many of the cops, PUT themselves in danger by not staying back and trying to defuse the situation. They ramp it up instead of calming it down. They are like Rambo, and all cowboy like. No one in charge, bullies with guns.
@1opinion as usual you are speaking about things you do not know. I told my son many times to pay the tickets. He simply did not have the money. And if you knew what the tickets were for, you would also ask why he was even given a ticket instead of a warning. But since you do not know the facts, your opinion is irrelevant.  And about taking personal responsibility, what is your name? Are you hiding because you will not take responsibility for your opinion? Coward. I blame the cops for not trying every non lethal means to handle the situation. I blame them for shooting when he was not holding a knife. I blame them for shooting when he was on all fours on the ground. I blame them for shooting him in the back. I blame them for breaking their own policies.Â
But like I said, since you do not know all of the facts, and you were not at the inquest, your opinion is worthless.
@Darla.....you need to check yourself. There have been TOO MANY instances where police try to detain the mentally ill and those on drugs and get killed. This isn't like putting a two year old in a time out when these suspects are a danger to themselves and the public. When the suspect is diligently defying commands, running from or coming at law enforecment with a dangerous weapon, serious actions will fofollow.Â
@Darla - what difference does it make if I display my name? It doesn't change the fact that personal responsibility needs to be taken when a person causes destruction. I can only gather, that your son continued to accrue traffic violations and leave them unpaid because he learned from you that he does not have to take responsibility for them and can blame others. Much like you blaming the police for the wrong doing of your son's actions.
@Madclown @Darla Curry Sampson @Whocares Did they have to go after him, press in? Or could they have stayed back and talked. Since we only have the police word for what happened, we may never know. If the police can not handle the job which may mean taking a life, then they need to find a different job.
When you come at police with a machete or a gun....you are planning your own demise. It is not a joke, it is not a cartoon or video game. It is just plain being stupid - regardless of what led up to it.
@1opinion yes, you are hiding behind a fake name. If you are proud of your opinion, use your real name. The KC cops broke their own policies.
@darla curry sampson -  This has nothing to do with hiding behind a made up name. My name states exactly what I post; one opinon. Again, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY is to blame for what happend. As you may recall, a deputy was killed by a naked man in Newcastle. No weapon, no clothes, just naked, It only takes a moment for things to go bad and it doesn not de-escalate the situation when one runs.Â
@1opinion They had no reason to push in closer. They could have stayed back and talked to him and called in a mediator. They could have pepper sprayed him. At the inquest the jury wanted to ask all of these questions about why they felt they had to get closer to a person with a knife, why they shot even when he was unarmed, why they didn't all in someone to talk to him, etc... but were not allowed to do it by the King County lawyers and King County judge. . And why did they shot him 24 times, 6 times in the back, even when he was on the ground on all fours with no weapon? Why did the knife have no blood or bullet marks on it and was found a distance away from his body? Answer, he dropped the knife and they shot anyway. PS: at least I am not hiding behind a made up name. I think if a person wants to make a comment, they should use their real name, or their comments are to be ignored.Â
Really , he needed time, with a history of problems. It is not the right time to "test your need of time" when breaking the law.  I am sorry for your loss, but it very well could have been prevented if your son 1) stopped incurring traffic violations. 2) paid the tickets for his traffic violations. 3) didn't elude police and 4) didn't come at them with a weapon. I'm sure he was told to put the weapon down. Hmmm....let's give him some time......
@1opinion And sometimes even if they comply they still get shot. And sometimes people need time, as for example the Seattle wood carver shot for doing nothing
@darla curry sampson - tragic all around- HOWEVER, if these people who end up shot by police were abiding the law and listening to instructions of the law, they would be here. It all boils down to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.  No excuses.Â
@1opinion a knife is very different from a gun, and you can have time to talk to a person with a knife and not crowd in close to them. A gun is more dangerous, but we only have the cops word that he pointed it at them.Â