A man wielding a box cutter is dead after he charged a Fresno Sheriff’s Deputy. A second deputy arrived at the scene and shot the suspect.
It happened on Thomas near Willow and Belmont in Southeast Fresno around 5:30 Monday night.
Fresno sheriff's patrol cars lined Willow Avenue near Belmont near the spot where a man was shot by deputies.
The man reportedly charged at the first deputy who had responded to a call for help.
“The male subject had already cut himself on the wrists as well as his neck and advanced on the deputy,” said Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims.
Sheriff Mims says the deputy fired one shot. The suspect didn't stop.
The Sheriff says there may have been a problem with the deputy's gun. Because the man kept going, and fought with the deputy.
“Another deputy sheriff arrived on the scene saw the struggle, saw the subject was armed with a box cutter assaulting his fellow deputy, he fired his weapon,” Mims said.
The suspect was killed.
Neighbors said the suspect was named Randy.
They didn't want to appear on camera but said they witnessed the confrontation.
“He came out and said ‘I'm gonna kill you,’ but he didn't have anything, he was unarmed,” the neighbor said.
They said Randy helped take care of his father who lives at the house.
“As far as I'm concerned he's a good man, he didn't deserve what he got,” the neighbor said.
Other neighbors we spoke with said the street is usually calm.
“Quiet, always quiet. There’s a school right here, a pond behind our house, definitely a big disturbance,” said Jennifer Leslie who lives down the street from where the shooting happened.
Sheriff Mims said the man who was killed has a criminal history that includes domestic violence.
Neither of the deputies was hurt.
