An armed man in Sacramento allegedly charged at two police officers with a knife on Monday morning, prompting the two officers to fire shots that resulted in the man’s death.
Police responded to calls of a black man in his 50s or 60s wielding a gun and a knife that morning, according to local Fox 40 news. Two officers responding to the calls approached the man, who then fled.
It wasn’t until the non-compliant suspect allegedly charged at the two officers with a knife that they fired at the man, according to the report. The suspect was taken to an area hospital. He has now been pronounced dead, according to Sacramento reporter Joe Khalil.
UPDATE: suspect in police shooting is dead-black male 50s-60s, witnesses/officers say came at officers w/knife pic.twitter.com/1Hlts4GZlF
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) July 11, 2016
Khalil further posted that whether the suspect’s motive was related to recent police shooting or not.
Officers shot suspect after he came at them w/knife-unclear whether recent #PoliceShooting played role in his motive pic.twitter.com/nDlLXqQX7w
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) July 11, 2016
One officer was injured as he exited a vehicle and chased the suspect, according to the local news report.
Police have faced harsh criticism from groups like Black Lives Matter over officer-involved shootings of black individuals. Last Thursday, Micah X. Johnson, who expressed being upset over Black Lives Matter and told police he wanted to kill white people, especially white police, killed five officers and wounded seven more, as well as two civilians, near the end of a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas. He died in a standoff with police.
Last Friday, also in Sacramento, an armored truck driver was shot when, police say, a 45-year-old black man approached the guard as he carried a bag of cash from a Golden One branch to his Brinks armored vehicle. The guard returned fire at the suspect, who has been arrested and faces charges of robbery and attempted murder.
Witnesses described the guard as Hispanic, according to the local news report. Appearing to have no concern for differences in skin color, a black man and his son rushed to the aid of the guard, one using the shirt off of his back to help stop the guard from bleeding. A photo and video of the Good Samaritans providing assistance were posted by Fox 5 San Diego.
Photo: file
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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