San Jose police officers responding to a family altercation between a father and son fatally shot the son after he charged at one of them with a large kitchen knife, Police Chief Eddie Garcia said Wednesday.
The officer shot the man, 28, late Tuesday night after both he and his father called 911. Neither man was identified by police.
The son had a history of mental illness and drug abuse, and making criminal threats. He had been arrested before, and police knew about the man’s criminal history and mental illness, Garcia said. Police didn’t release the officer’s name.
Within moments after the first responding police officer arrived on the scene, the son came out of the family garage and charged at the officer with the knife, while holding another kitchen knife in his other hand, Garcia said.
When the victim and the officer were a few feet apart, the officer, a 15-year veteran, backed up and fired. It wasn't possible for the officer to de-escalate the situation or use less lethal force once the man was charging at the officer with the knife, Garcia said.