MORENO VALLEY – A suspect in a stabbing reportedly refused to drop his weapon or to stand down after attacking an officer, resulting in an officer involved shooting.
In the early hours of Thursday, July 16, the Moreno Valley Police Department received a call from a distressed parent of an adult male on the 25000 block of Fir Avenue. The caller reported that the man had a history of mental illness and had just physically assaulted a juvenile family member.
When officers arrived at the residence, the suspect was holed up in his bedroom, and attacked officers when they attempted to speak with him. One of the officers was struck with a large hand tool and injured. The officer had to be transported and treated at a local hospital for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
Following the assault, the suspect fled the room by jumping from a second floor window. Several hours later, another call regarding an attempted robbery and assault with a deadly weapon in the area of Webster Avenue and Perris Boulevard gave authorities a lead on the suspect’s location.
Officers were able to locate the suspect once more in the area of Sunnymead Boulevard and Perris Boulevard. Again, officers attempted to speak with the man. According to a press release from the Riverside Sheriff’s Department, the officers pleaded with the suspect to surrender, and drop the knife and hand tool he held in his hand and also attempted to stop him with a taser to no effect. When the armed suspect approached the officers, they were forced to fire their weapons.
Paramedics arrived and attempted to save the injured man, but he succumbed to his injuries. The name of the deceased has not yet been released. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave per Department policy and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Central Homicide Unit has the investigation.
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