Suspect with knife, box cutter killed after charging at Fullerton police, authorities say – Orange County Register

A man who brandished a pair of knives and threatened at least one person in Fullerton was shot and killed by police after he allegedly ran toward them with the weapons in his hands on Saturday morning, June 15, authorities said.

Fullerton officers were called to the 200 block of East Imperial Highway, near Mervyn’s Drive, just past 5 a.m. after receiving a report from a man that another man had brandished the knives and was acting dangerously, spokeswoman Kristy Wells said.

Officers found a man matching the suspect description holding a kitchen knife in one hand and a green box cutter in the other, Wells said. Police gave multiple commands to drop the weapons, but the suspect refused.

He began running toward the officers with the weapons while refusing orders to stop, Wells said. At least one officer fired at the suspect.

At one point, officers also used a less-than-lethal sponge gun launcher and fired a 40-millimeter sponge round at the suspect, but it wasn’t known exactly when during the confrontation that occurred, Sgt. Ryan O’Neil said.

Police attempted to help the suspect until paramedics arrived and took him to a hospital, where he died, Wells said. Both weapons were found on the ground at the scene.

A kitchen knife and a box cutter allegedly wielded by a suspect were found after the suspect was shot by at least one Fullerton police officer in the 200 block of East Imperial Highway Saturday morning, June 15. (Courtesy of Fullerton Police Department)

A kitchen knife and a box cutter allegedly wielded by a suspect were found after the suspect was shot by at least one Fullerton police officer in the 200 block of East Imperial Highway Saturday morning, June 15. (Courtesy of Fullerton Police Department)

Fullerton police investigate the scene after at least one officer shot at a knife-wielding suspect in the 200 block of East Imperial Highway Saturday morning, June 15. (OC Hawk)

A kitchen knife and a box cutter allegedly wielded by a suspect were found after the suspect was shot by at least one Fullerton police officer in the 200 block of East Imperial Highway Saturday morning, June 15. (Courtesy of Fullerton Police Department)

The identity of the suspect was withheld by police pending notification of his relatives.

There were no reports of injuries to potential victims or witnesses, Wells said.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office was on scene Saturday morning investigating the actions of the officers, while Fullerton police were investigating potential criminal acts by the suspect, Wells said.

Video from OC Hawk showed police investigating a parking lot area between train tracks and a medical building on the north side of Imperial Highway.