A critical incident involving Sacramento SWAT officers occurred on September 7th, 2021, after 53-year-old Derek Pearson armed himself with an AK-47 and barricaded himself in his home.

After receiving a 911 call regarding a welfare check, officers were dispatched to the 3700 Block of Redding Ave., after a worried friend received disturbing text messages on their phone. Upon arriving at the residence, officers from the Sacramento Police Department approached the home, where Pearson began telling officers no one was welcome on his property and to leave his home. Shortly after the encounter, officers spotted Pearson through the window, now armed with what appeared to be an AK-47. Pearson then pointed the weapon at officers, forcing them to leave the area for their own safety.

While the officers moved to safety, Sacramento SWAT officers were dispatched to the home, where they began negotiating with Pearson for multiple hours. During the negotiation, Pearson refused to comply, where he then began firing multiple shots toward Law Enforcement personnel. In a desperate attempt to deescalate the situation, Sacramento SWAT utilized an armored "Rook" to make a clear line of sight through the front of the residence. Upon clearing the front window, Pearson began taking multiple shots at the armored vehicle, forcing SWAT officers to halt their operation.

Nearly nine-hours later, Pearson finally exited the home through the garage, however he was armed with his AK-47 still. As he exited the doorway, he began pointing the weapon at the SWAT officers, forcing an officer involved shooting. For their own safety, a police drone was sent into the home to assure Pearson was unarmed before the ground unit moved into the home.

After entering the home and clearing Pearson's person from any firearms, Sacramento fire rescue performed live saving treatment, however Pearson succumbed to his injuries. Pearson was pronounced deceased at the scene. No law enforcement officers or civilians were injured during this incident.