'Tarzan' actor Ron Ely's son was unarmed when cops shot him 24 times after he fatally stabbed his mother and tried to pin blame on his father
In the new details that have come to light regarding the police encounter of 'Tarzan' actor Ron Ely's son Cameron after he allegedly shot his mother Valerie, it was revealed that the 30-year-old was shot 24 times, despite being unarmed.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release obtained by People magazine on October 29 that officers who confronted Cameron outside the family’s Hope Ranch home earlier this month, initially believed that he was motioning some sort of a firearm at them, which prompted them to fire multiple shots.
“Deputies searched the residence and surrounding area for Cameron Ely. During the search, the murder suspect was located outside the home”, the spokesperson said. “The suspect told deputies that he had a gun, advanced towards the deputies, and motioned with his hands as if he were drawing a weapon.”
“In response, four deputies fired a total of 24 rounds from their service weapons, fatally wounding the suspect”, the spokesperson continued. “When deputies were able to safely approach Cameron using a ballistic shield, they found that he had feigned being armed and did not have a weapon.”
The confrontation took place after first responders found Valerie, 62, inside the home, “deceased with multiple stab wounds." Cameron had already placed a bizarre 911 call following the murder, placing the blame of the crime on his father. Ron, 81, who was inside the house at the time of the incident, confirmed to the deputies that it was his son who had killed his wife and fled the scene thereafter.
An autopsy of both Valerie and Cameron was pending as the sheriff’s office conducts criminal, coroner’s and administrative investigations. Ron was not harmed in the incident but the actor was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Besides their son Cameron, Ron and Valerie had two daughters, Kirsten and Kaitland, 32.