Officer shoots knife-wielding suspect near downtown Porterville bar, body camera video shows

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- Newly released body camera video shows the moments leading up to a Porterville police officer shooting a suspect armed with a knife near a crowded downtown bar Thursday night.

Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Lucas Drak. Authorities said he was shot once in the lower body before entering the Mecca Bar on Main Street. Officers said multiple officers were needed to take him into custody.

Porterville Police Chief Bobby Rader said he believes officers' actions prevented a potentially more serious outcome.

"Our officer intervened at the exact right moment and prevented this person from entering a peaceful place with people having a good time unrelated to this incident or this could've been way worse," Rader said.

According to police, the incident began shortly after 10:30 p.m. when officers received a call from the Glenwood Apartments on North Main Street. Authorities said a man suffered minor injuries after being stabbed in the arm.

When the first officer arrived, police said a distraught woman standing in the street reported that a masked man had stopped her from entering her apartment.

"He violently assaulted a resident and actually cut that person with a knife at some point during that altercation he encounters a female who was simply trying to get to a residence and he assaulted her as well," Rader said.

Body camera footage shows officers pursuing Drak on foot while ordering him to surrender. Police said Drak was holding a knife in his right hand as the chase moved down Main Street.

Authorities said Drak began moving toward the Mecca Bar, where an estimated 15 to 30 people were inside. An officer then opened fire in an attempt to stop him. Officials have not said how many shots were fired.

Police said Drak was struck once in the lower body but continued into the bar. Authorities said he remained armed with a knife and also had a screwdriver in his pocket. Chief Rader said Drak was acting erratically and officers believed he was intoxicated.

"Despite Drake's injuries, he continued to fight and proceeded where multiple officers had to struggle with him for several minutes in order to get him into handcuffs and detained," Rader said.

According to police, officers used a Taser multiple times before taking Drak into custody. He was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Rader said Drak is well known to law enforcement, is on active parole and is a registered sex offender.

"Here's his rap sheet, Lucas Drak has been arrested for all kinds of terrible things over the last decade. He's been in and out of prison several times," Rader said.

The owners of the Mecca Bar tell Action News the incident is unfortunate, but is unrelated to their bar, in said in a statement: "The safety of our customers, employees, and community has always been our highest priority."

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office is independently investigating the officer's use of force, while Porterville police continue investigating the events that led up to the incident.

"This appears to be a very random circumstance where somebody was really clearly not in their right mind go into a residence and try to kill them," Rader said.

Drak has since been released from the hospital and booked into the Tulare County Jail on multiple charges, including attempted murder.

The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave pending completion of the investigation, according to department policy.

For news and weather updates, follow Brisa Colón on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.