POMONA – An ‘assault with a knife’ call near midnight Wednesday night deployed two Pomona PD Patrol Division officers to the 1100 block of East Pasadena Street. Mitchell Avila (59) of Pomona confronted the officers while wielding an approximately 13″ fixed-blade knife.
Watch Commander Sergeant Anthony Catenese said during the Crime Voice interview, “The officers ordered the suspect numerous times to drop the knife. The suspect taunted officers for a period of time, indicating at least three times that he wanted to be shot.”
As Sergeant Catanese explained, “With two officers on scene, one officer deployed a less lethal form, not wanting to cause lethal injury. Another officer covered. The officers showed great restraint, which attests to the quality of officers and their level of training.”
Sgt. Catanese continued, “There were innocent bystanders in the immediate area. When taunted, the officers’ goal is to safely take the suspect into custody for proper health support and professional help, and keep the community safe.”
The officers deployed a taser and the suspect was taken into custody with no further incident.
It was determined that the victim, who was later identified as Avilas’ girlfriend, in her late 50s, sustained a stab wound to the abdomen and required medical treatment. The victim was admitted to the hospital and is said to be in stable condition.
The suspect was arrested for attempted homicide and domestic violence and is currently in jail. No further information is available during the ongoing investigation.
