Susanville Police Department officers fatally shot a man who was armed with a machete, threatened children, and assaulted an officer during an early morning response on May 6 in Susanville, California. The Lassen County Law Enforcement Interagency Investigation Team, which led the inquiry with assistance from multiple local and regional agencies, confirmed the sequence of events through body camera footage and investigative findings.
Police were dispatched to a residence after receiving reports that a man was acting erratically, using suspected methamphetamine, threatening children, and wielding a machete. The reporting party told officers the man had threatened to harm the children during a phone call. Upon arrival, officers observed the man holding a 2-year-old child out of a second-story window. He initially denied having any weapons while speaking with officers from the upstairs window.
After bringing the child back inside, the man continued to hold the child while swinging a machete and striking the window frame. Officers fired shots after he began swinging the machete inside the home. As officers breached the front door, the man descended the staircase wielding the machete and struck one officer in the shoulder. That officer fired three rounds, hitting the man, who continued to hold the machete and ignored commands to drop it.
Another officer deployed less-lethal munitions, causing the man to fall to the ground. Officers secured him and immediately began lifesaving efforts while one officer searched the home. Three children, ages 2, 4, and 8, were found unharmed in an upstairs bedroom. The injured officer suffered a laceration to his shoulder and received eight staples.
The suspect sustained gunshot wounds to his arm and torso and died despite resuscitation attempts. The district attorney’s review concluded that the use of deadly force was justified under California law.