One of two alleged gang-banger brothers who were the only suspects in the murder of a 19-year-old man ran from police and then reached towards his waistband, prompting the pursuing officer to fire a singe round that appears to have left the 16-year-old murder suspect brain dead.

But don’t worry, folks! His family assures us that this suspected murderer and member of the Calwa Bulldogs gang was a “good kid.”

In the early morning hours after Isaiah Murrietta was shot by a police officer, family members were already fearing the worst.

“My nephew is right here,” a family member said. “May he rest in piece nephew. I miss you and I will always miss you.”

Police say Murrietta is a suspect in the murder investigation of 19-year-old Eugenio Ybarra. Ybarra died Friday when he drove his car into a tree in northeast Fresno after two men fired shots through his back window.

Detectives believe Murrietta and his 17-year-old brother are those suspects, but the boys’ grandfather disagrees.

“They lived with me,” Israel Murrieta said. “I raised them boys since babies – all the way from babies – I raised them. They were good kids.”

Family members are now left with many questions – one being why the 16-year-old, who they say was a good kid, was shot.

“I understand you guys, Fresno PD, you got to do your job and I respect you to help all of us stay safe, but sometimes you guys overreact,” a relative said. “And this one time, I think you guys overreacted because you shot an unarmed 16-year-old kid who was running because he was scared.”

When a murder suspect flees from police and then makes any gesture that the pursuing officer may interpret as an attempt to draw a weapon, they’re very likely going to be shot, especially when the suspect is presumed to be armed. As Isaiah Murrietta and his brother were believed to be the shooters in the killing of Eugenio Ybarra the day before, assuming they were armed and dangerous was logical.

Isaiah Murrietta could have simply surrendered, but he chose to run instead and greatly increased the danger to himself and the pursuing officers.

As folks note from time to time, “when you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.”