A man with a knife was shot and killed by a San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputy after he crashed into a patrol car and charged at law enforcement. The fatal incident unfolded Saturday afternoon in Covington Community Park when deputies responded to reports of a possibly suicidal man armed with a knife and a gun.
Before the encounter that led to the man's death, deputies and Sheriff's Aviation attempted to negotiate for over 25 minutes, using public address announcements to persuade the man that they were there to offer assistance, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department reported. The individual, whose name has not been released, had expressed intentions to commit "suicide by cop."
According to officials, the standoff turned into a pursuit within the park premises. After the deployment of spike strips by the California Highway Patrol, which successfully disabled a rear tire, the man collided with a sheriff’s vehicle. Exiting his car with the knife, the suspect then charged at a deputy, prompting the shooting. Despite subsequent life-saving efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division is looking into the matter. With law enforcement, they beseeched the suspect to disarm and surrender peacefully before he accosted deputies, which culminated in the use of lethal force. According to the department's statement, no information is currently available regarding further details of the incident.
The man had a dog with him during the entire ordeal, which fled the vehicle at some point. San Bernardino County Animal Control has been notified about the lost dog. The Sheriff-Coroner Department urges those with information to contact Detective Malcolm Page of the Specialized Investigations Division.
