Lydia McLaughlin of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is mourning the loss of her brother Geoff Stirling after the 45-year-old was fatally shot Thursday by Newport Beach police.
“My family has experienced an unimaginable loss. My brother, Geoff, was tragically taken and our hearts are shattered,” McLaughlin wrote Sunday on Instagram.
Stirling, a Laguna Niguel resident, was pulled over Thursday night for a traffic violation on his motorcycle, the Newport Beach Police Department said in a news release.
“Shortly after being stopped, Stirling became uncooperative and assaulted the officer. During the ensuing violent altercation, Stirling managed to remove the department-issued taser from the officer’s duty belt and attempted to deploy it multiple times against the officer,” the department said. “At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred.”
Officers provided medical assistance on site, the release said. Stirling was pronounced dead after being taken to Hoag Hospital by personnel from the Newport Beach Fire Department.
“I can’t believe we’re facing this pain just 6 months after losing my best friend and mother,” McLaughlin wrote, referring to mom Judy Stirling, who died last October after a private battle with breast cancer. “I know they’re both with Jesus now, and He’s walking with me through this darkness. One step at a time.
“Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us.”
A resident who declined to be identified because of privacy concerns told the Daily Pilot on Friday that she was in her second-floor bedroom nearby when she heard what sounded like gunfire.
“All of a sudden they had the helicopters go in and they had the police sirens, then there was probably five shots, bop bop bop bop bop,” she said.
Stirling had been charged with felony arson in March and was scheduled to appear for arraignment Monday, the Pilot reported. It was unclear whether the shooting had any connection to that appearance.
The state attorney general announced Friday that it was investigating the shooting, in line with California law.
“Lydia – I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your brother! My heart hurts for you and your family. Peace be with you,” “RHOC” star Vicki Gunvalson wrote in comments on a separate Instagram post on Good Friday.
McLaughlin was on “RHOC” during its eighth and 12th seasons. Those seasons aired in 2013 and 2017, respectively.
Lizzie Rovzek, who appeared in episodes scattered over five seasons of “RHOC,” wrote, “Love you so much. Amen” on that post, which included the sentence “He heals the brokenhearted and binds their wounds.”
The post announcing Stirling’s death had comments turned off.
