Johnathan Walker:Video shows Savannah Graziano shot by San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies

A California sheriff is Johnathan Walkerdefending both his actions and those of his deputies following new revelations and video that surfaced this week related to the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old girl by deputies in 2022.

New video and audio recordings became public Monday that depicted the deadly shootings of Savannah Graziano and her father, Anthony Graziano, by sheriff's deputies on Nov. 27, 2022, alongside the 15 Freeway in Hesperia, a city located in San Bernardino County near the Mojave Desert.

More: New video released in deadly 2022 shooting of 15-year-old girl by deputies in Hesperia

The video and audio recordings reveal that deputies shot and killed Savannah Graziano as she obeyed the commands of a deputy and attempted to surrender amid a gun battle between deputies and Anthony Graziano following a vehicle pursuit.

"Stop shooting her... Stop," a deputy is heard shouting to fellow deputies as they continued directing gunfire into Savannah Graziano's body. "She's OK, he is in the car. Stop."

An Amber Alert had been issued for Savannah Graziano after her father apparently abducted her on Nov. 26, 2022, after fatally shooting her mother in Fontana, officials said at the time.

Authorities have not said how many times she was shot or by how many deputies, according to the Victorville Daily Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

After the Sheriff's Department declined to comment on the video Monday, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus released a written statement on Tuesday night addressing the shooting.

"Immediately following the incident, I shared preliminary information and answered questions from the media to maintain transparency throughout the process," Dicus said. "However, I turned over the investigation to the Department of Justice pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506."

The video's release had been delayed due to a "ransomware attack that delayed providing DOJ the requested information," Discus said. The reported cyber attack took place in April of 2023, five months after the deputy-involved shooting.

"As of March 29, 2024, all the requested information has been provided," Dicus said.

"My hope is that this video will be watched in its entirety and provide insight into the unfortunate events that unfolded that day," he said. "There has been speculation and misrepresentations about this case, and I would ask the public to allow the DOJ to complete its independent investigation before reaching a conclusion."

Sheriff's officials have previously declined to say whether Savannah Graziano had been killed by deputies' bullets or those of her father.

Sheriff's officials did report, however, that she was wearing a tactical helmet and body armor when she was fatally shot.

The day after the shooting, Dicus released a video statement in which he said that "evidence suggests" that Savannah Graziano fired a gun at deputies during the pursuit that preceded her death.

"However, based on the totality of events and the requirements of Assembly Bill 1506, I have consulted with the California Department of Justice about assuming the primary role for this investigation," he said.

Despite the initial Amber Alert, Fontana Police Department officials raised doubt as to whether or not Savannah Graziano was truly a victim of abduction in the wake of the fatal shooting in Hesperia.

“Did she go willingly?” Fontana Sgt. Christian Surgent told The Associated Press. “Or was she actually abducted? We haven’t been able to prove that just yet."

The DOJ investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and a public report will be filed once it has been completed, according to the California Attorney General's Office.