A Buena Park man who appeared to be acting erratically in front of a McDonald’s restaurant in Fullerton on Wednesday, March 6, was approached by police, who first tried to subdue him using a Taser. Failing that, police fired “non-lethal” beanbags at the man, who was struck by the projectiles and later died at a hospital, authorities said.
Officers tried to help the 50-year-old man before he was taken to a trauma center.
Police received a call about 3 a.m. of two men acting erratically and possibly under the influence of drugs in front of the restaurant in the 1300 block of South Brookhurst Road, Sgt. Ryan O’Neil said. A restaurant employee called police, concerned about the welfare of employees.
WARNING: This video is graphic and has explicit language.
The restaurant’s drive-thru is open 24 hours. The lobby, which is open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., was closed at the time.
Police arrived to find one of the men shirtless and swinging a belt.
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The man was uncooperative, prompting officers to use the Taser, which was ineffective, they said
“The suspect continued to act erratically and was uncooperative as he refused to comply with officers’ commands,” police said in a statement.
Video footage obtained by OC Hawk News show the man shirtless, apparently swinging a belt near a police officer by the McDonald’s entrance. The officer then appears to fire five rounds, presumably beanbags, at close proximity to the man who remained standing. A sixth round is then fired.
After that final shot, the man squats down with his hands covering his face. Police tell the man to put his hands up, as three police officers approach him. The video cuts off to police surrounding the man as he lays in a pool of blood with blood stains on his chest and legs.
Several officers are seen attempting to stop the bleeding in his chest area.
Sgt. O’Neil confirmed multiple rounds of the less lethal kinetic energy projectile were fired, including one round which struck the man in the chest and penetrated his skin. The weapon, weighing roughly 40 to 50 grams and fired at a velocity of about 230 to 300 feet per second, has previously been linked to cases involving serious injury and death, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
The second man ran off as officers arrived and police were looking to identify and interview him, police spokeswoman Kristy Wells said.
Per standard policy in Fullerton police shootings, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office was notified of the death and responded to the restaurant to investigate.