San Bernardino Police Fatally Shoot Knife-Wielding Man After Threatening Juvenile Son

A domestic violence call escalated into a fatal officer-involved shooting Saturday evening in San Bernardino after police say a man armed with a knife refused to drop his weapon and threatened his juvenile son.

The incident occurred around 5:32 p.m. on April 5 in the 1000 block of North Mountain View Avenue. According to a press release from the San Bernardino Police Department, a relative contacted dispatchers and reported that the suspect had threatened to kill his juvenile son. Additional 911 calls from bystanders stated that the man was chasing the child through the street while armed with a knife.

When patrol officers arrived, they located the man and issued repeated commands for him to drop the weapon. Police say the suspect refused to comply with verbal commands and de-escalation attempts.

“Officers gave multiple commands and pleaded with the suspect to drop the knife,” wrote Sergeant Erik Campos in the release.

Officers deployed a Taser and less-lethal bean bag rounds in an effort to subdue the suspect, but authorities said the man continued to resist and then ran toward the residence while swinging the knife.

“It was at that point that an officer-involved shooting occurred,” the department said.

The knife was recovered at the scene, and officers immediately began life-saving measures until paramedics arrived. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The San Bernardino Police Department’s Homicide Unit is leading the investigation, under the oversight of the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective T. Montez at (909) 384-5762 or via email at Montez_Ti@sbcity.org. Sergeant E. Campos may also be reached at (909) 384-5613 or Campos_er@sbcity.org.