By Sierra van der Brug
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Calif.
CHINO, Calif. — Bodycam footage released this week shows a man who was threatening a woman with a knife in Chino responding “shoot me,” after police ordered him to drop the weapon. Moments later, as he pursued the victim, they opened fire.
A witness called police to report a woman screaming coming from 16250 Homecoming Drive in Chino around 9 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2025, according to a critical incident video Chino police released on Monday, March 9.
“My neighbors are having a domestic dispute and he’s hurting her. It’s really bad and there’s yelling and screaming,” the witness told a 911 dispatcher.
“He’s hitting her. She’s crying for help,” said the witness, who could see the altercation through a window.
Another neighbor also called 911, telling dispatchers that “some kind of abuse” was going on and they could hear a woman saying “Don’t stab me,” “Don’t kill me” and something about a knife. The caller said it was their second time calling within about a week, according to audio of the call.
The bodycam footage shows Chino police arriving at the home and entering through the garage shortly after 9 p.m. Inside, they found 29-year-old Royce Johnson of Anaheim “holding a large knife aggressively towards the female victim,” police said.
As a police officer walks up the stairs, a woman can be heard on the bodycam footage yelling stop. The officer says, “Drop the knife” and Johnson responds, “No.” The officer tells the woman to get back before ordering Johnson to drop the knife again. With his arms spread out, Johnson says, “Shoot me” before turning away from the officer.
He then chases the victim, who is trying to go to a bedroom, down the hallway with the knife, police said.
Video shows the officer firing several shots at Johnson, who falls to his knees at the end of the hallway.
Officers gave Johnson medical aid at the scene and he was brought to a hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
Johnson was charged with assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm and battery by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office on Nov. 20. Court records show Johnson pleaded not guilty to both charges.
He is expected back in court on March 18.
© 2026 the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.). Visit www.dailybulletin.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
