RANCHO CORDOVA-
A man was shot by Rancho Cordova Police officer after he allegedly charged two officers while wielding a knife.
Charles Certner said he woke up to commotion after going to bed Friday night.
“I heard a couple of shots, and I woke up, and was like… ‘what the?’ After that, I came in and asked what the hell is going on,” Certner said.
Just past midnight on Saturday, Rancho Cordova Police responded to a welfare check on a 47 year old man, who was reportedly intoxicated near his residence.
When officers arrived at the 9900 block of Zion Way, they found the man holding a pocket knife in each hand.
Authorities said the man did not follow any of their commands. Instead, he threw one of the knives at one officer, which ended up cutting his pants. After being tazed, they said the man charged at the officer while holding the other knife. That is when officers shot the man, at least once in his torso.
“He was laying on the side walk like this,” Certner remembered.
The man’s family did not want to talk on camera. However, the family, who witnessed the entire encounter, told a very different story. They remembered the man was standing on the side walk. There was one officer in front of him, and one to the right of him. The man asked the officers to stop shining the flashlight in his eyes. Then they remember the front officer tazing the man at the exact same time the other officer shot at him three times- one near his heart, and twice in the stomach. One of the bullets hit a nearby car.
All of them said they begged the officers not to shoot. However, they remembered the first shot aimed near the heart.
As for the knife, they said it was nowhere near the officers and did not know how the officers suffered a cut to his uniform. They admit he was holding a knife, but he threw it away from the officers.
Sacramento Sheriffs officials said the man is now recovering in the hospital from non-life threatening injuries. When he is medically cleared, he will be booked for assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.
