Police shoot knife-wielding suspect in San Jose neighborhood after reported family disturbance
A report of a family disturbance in a San Jose neighborhood led to a police shooting Sunday night.
San Jose police said in a social media post that officers were called to the area of S. First Street and Sutter Street in the city's Washington-Guadalupe neighborhood to investigate a disturbance involving a weapon.
According to police, an officer shot a suspect after he threatened officers with a knife. After being shot, the suspect barricaded himself inside a home. He was eventually taken into custody and taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said.
In an afternoon update, police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Heraclio Mejia. They said the suspect allegedly was drunk and threatening his family at their home with a knife.
A woman at the home reported that the suspect threw dishes. She told 911 she had to lock herself and four kids in a bedroom while the suspect tried to break in, threatening to kill her.
The suspect also injured a family member who tried to de-escalate the situation.
"The 911 call taker could hear children crying in the background as the caller desperately awaited for help" said San Jose Police chief Paul Joseph. "The family member told officers he had to stop the suspect from physically assaulting the survivor."
Police said after repeated orders to drop the knife, officers began to leave the room and the suspect lunged at them with a knife.
One officer discharged a taser, but the suspect blocked it with a blanket. Police said he then tried to advance on the officers, which was when one of the officer's discharged his weapon.
Police remained at the scene overnight and were still processing the scene as of 6 a.m. Monday. No officers were injured.
Traffic in the area was impacted as Sutter Street was closed from S. First Street to S. Almaden Avenue. People were urged to avoid the area and use alternative routes.
