Chaos erupted within the aisles of a Morgan Hill Safeway last week when a man, armed with a large kitchen knife and a wine bottle, caused a disturbance that led to an officer-involved shooting. The Morgan Hill Police Department reported that at midnight last Friday, officers responded to the grocery store at 840 E. Dunne Avenue, where Shaun Hillman, 40, from Van Nuys, was said to be non-compliant with employees' requests to leave the premises. The situation quickly escalated from a simple disturbance to an alarming threat.
Upon arrival, police repeatedly tried to de-escalate the situation. With the store evacuated, they continued to urge Hillman to disarm, to no avail. According to the Morgan Hill Police Department, a victim was found injured, initially thought to be stabbed, but later determined to have been struck with a wine bottle. Hillman then escalated the threat by hurling wine bottles at the officers, prompting an officer to discharge their weapon.
Officers rendered immediate first aid to Hillman after subduing him, a tactic that ensured his injuries remained non-life-threatening. Hillman is reportedly in stable condition in a local hospital. The victim of the assault also received medical attention. The department has committed to releasing a critical incident video within 30 days of the event to provide transparency into the officers' response to the incident. They have also appealed to the public for any information that might shed further light on the events of that night.
Detective Adrian Sapien leads the investigation and can be reached at (669) 253-4995 or via email at [email protected].
