Police investigate officer-involved shooting in Central Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A suspect was shot by an officer Sunday afternoon after threatening people with a knife in Central Fresno, the Fresno Police Department said.

Police received reports of a man threatening drivers with a knife near Fresno Street and Belmont Avenue while shouting gang names. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said an officer confronted the man, described as being in his 20s, and shot the suspect twice after he continued threatening people.

As crime scene tape stretched across the streets, the woman whose husband was threatened by the suspect said it all started when the suspect walked past her house at around 4 p.m.

"My dogs barked at him and I guess it scared him because he just started cussing at my husband and my dogs," the woman, who did not want to be identified, said. "And he started going at my husband with a knife."

Fearing for her husband's life, she called 911. The suspect took off. That's when police say he started threatening people sitting in traffic.

"He kept telling them that they killed his mom in a car accident," she said. "It was crazy. He seemed like he was on drugs on something."

Police arrived within a few minutes just as the woman was getting off the phone with the dispatcher. The woman said the officer stepped out of the car and demanded that the suspect put down his weapon. Moments later the officer opened fire.

"He was telling him to drop the knife and the guy just kept going, so the guy kept going at him so he shot him," the witness explained.

Dyer said the entire incident, which was less than a minute, was captured in the Real Time Crime Center and on body cams.

"The officer made several commands 15 to 20 commands for the individual to drop the knife he refused," Dyer said. "And the individual continued to walk towards vehicles while the officer was confronting him."

Dyer said that officer fired two rounds and shot the suspect twice in his lower abdomen. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center and is expected to recover.

Dyer credits the new Central Fresno Police Substation for the quick response and neighbors are thankful for it too.

"For it to be close to home it kind of hits hard," Derek Snowden of Fresno said. "So, I'm thankful that they get here quick and handled the situation that go down."