The man who was shot to death by Fontana police inside a Home Depot on Monday had brushed off an attempt to incapacitate him with a Taser and charged at officers before they fired, the Police Department said Wednesday, Feb. 28, as it provided new details on the confrontation.
Police were called to the area of Sierra and Jurupa avenues around 6 p.m. because a man was running in and out of traffic, seemingly attempting to get hit, said Officer Steven Reed, a department spokesman. The man was then seen entering the hardware store at 16783 Santa Ana Ave.
Police confronted the man, who had removed a carbon steel jab saw from its packaging and was posing a threat to the officers and customers, Reed said. (A jab saw often has a 6-inch, jagged blade attached to a large grip.)
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“Both officers immediately attempted to de-escalate the situation, issuing multiple verbal commands in an effort to gain compliance,” Reed said. “A Taser was deployed and ineffective, and the suspect was running toward officers with the saw” when he was shot.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Fontana Police as of Wednesday had not publicly identified the man who was fatally shot.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the shooting. Fontana police are investigating the officers’ actions to determine whether they were within department policy.