By Joanna Putman
Police1
LOS ANGELES — The LAPD have released body camera footage and a detailed account of an incident in Sylmar where officers shot a man armed with a knife, KABC reported.
The confrontation began on March 13, following a report that a 29-year-old man who was described as mentally ill, had attacked family members. Audio from a 911 call states the man had forced his way into an apartment and assaulted a family member with a wooden stick.
Officers arriving on the scene attempted to engage the man, who initially appeared at the apartment door armed with the stick before retreating inside, leading to a barricade situation, video shows. SWAT teams, along with negotiation and mental health assessment teams, were then dispatched.
After an hours-long standoff, SWAT used a chemical agent to drive the man out, at which point he emerged wielding a large kitchen knife.
The man began to approach officers with the knife. As he descended a stairway in front of the apartment, the officers instructed him to stop while attempting to deter him using less lethal bean bag rounds. The man continued to approach officers.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs and started to move toward officers, the officers fired several shots, bringing him to the ground.
The man was subsequently arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon and five counts of resisting an executive officer, according to the report. The incident resulted in no injuries to officers, and the family member struck earlier declined medical treatment.
Recovered evidence from the scene included the knife, the wooden stick, a skateboard used as a shield and a tire iron.