Posted on 03/27/2009 7:07:22 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
MOUNT HELIX A man armed with a large knife was shot by El Cajon police at a busy intersection Friday afternoon after numerous non-lethal attempts by officers to stop him failed.
The man, whose name has not yet been released, led police on a mile-long uphill chase on Avocado Boulevard, running all the way, said police Lt. Steven Shakowski. Police said they received a call about 11:50 a.m. about a man carrying a knife similar to a hunting knife near Chase Avenue and Avocado Boulevard in El Cajon.
The man was running with the knife and waving it around, Shakowski said. The area is near businesses, and police were concerned for the public's safety, he said. Officers followed the man up Avocado to Horizon Hills Drive. When he refused to drop the knife, they fired two stinging beanbag rounds at him. They also shot him with a Taser, an electric stun gun.
None of it stopped the man, who continued running up Avocado with the knife, Shakowski said. Two more beanbags were fired.
The man was still running up Avocado as officers fired more beanbag rounds. By the time he reached the intersection of Avocado and Fuerte Drive, just outside of El Cajon city limits, he had been hit eight times, to no effect, Shakowski said.
Fearing he might enter the businesses at the intersection, police tried to cut off the man, who had run the one-mile uphill distance in about 13 minutes, the lieutenant said. The man then raised the knife and charged at the officers. Four officers opened fire with their pistols, firing at least six shots. The man fell, mortally wounded.
The intersection of Avocado and Fuerte was expected to be closed for several hours as an investigation continues. So far, investigators don't know why the man was in the street waving the knife, Shakowski said.
Henry Martinez, a witness who was stopped at a red light at Avocado and Fuerte, said the man appeared tired and was almost stumbling.
Martinez said he didn't personally feel that the man posed an immediate threat to officers. He said he heard multiple shots fired.
Police said all the officers involved in the shooting are veterans of the department.
Sounds like he was on something or off something.
You never know what you are going to run into these days.
Not gonna say it. Wouldn't be prudent.
Didn't his momma never teach him.....
I'm gonna say drugs were involved, m'kay?
Sounds like a righteous shoot, to say the least.
Maybe this helpful witness should have gone over and volunteered to subdue the man in a more gentle manner.
If Martinez didn’t feel the man was a threat perhaps he should have jumped in and neutralized the situation. A tired man can kill you just as easily as an energetic one.
Never take a knife to a gunfight.
Heh, 15 seconds apart. Great minds and all that.
A man’s gotta know his limitations...
..who had run the one-mile uphill distance in about 13 minutes..A 13-minute mile ain't exactly settin' the world on fire. But, I'm to believe several cops dogged this guy for 13 minutes and couldn't get a knife out of his hand? That's just sad. Glad none of the good guys got hurt, though.
“Sounds like a righteous shoot, to say the least.”
Indeed.
However, I belive that the fine art of the nightstick takedown has been lost.....
to bad it didn’t happen in Texas, could have saved him the time to run for 13 minutes.
This may well be the case. However, if a knife-wielding maniac is charging me, I too will favor efficiency over style.
The man then raised the knife and charged at the officers.
Henry Martinez, a witness ..., said the man appeared tired and was almost stumbling.
Martinez said he didn’t personally feel that the man posed an immediate threat to officers. He said he heard multiple shots fired.
How many rounds hit him in the back?
Cops chased him for a mile? Not on foot they didn’t!
Local man turned into guacamole on Avocado. Details at 11:00.
At least he wasn't naked. I thought this would be another naked guy with a knife getting shot by the cops thread.
“You know, beyond a certain point...enough is enough.”
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