SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has released a detailed account of an officer-involved shooting involving Citrus Heights police officers, presenting the circumstances that led to the use of deadly force as established facts even as the department acknowledges that its investigation remains ongoing.
The Oct. 22 news release describes a confrontation in which a man armed with a knife allegedly advanced toward officers despite repeated commands and the deployment of less-lethal weapons. The department’s account does not identify which details are based on statements from the officers involved or have been independently corroborated.
The Sheriff’s Office said its Homicide Bureau is leading the investigation and that the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office will conduct an independent review.
Neither investigation was described as complete when the department issued its account.
According to the release, the incident began shortly before noon Oct. 22, when the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received information about a California Highway Patrol officer who had a suspect at gunpoint.
The incident subsequently developed into a vehicle pursuit. A Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy observed the pursuit traveling eastbound on Business 80 near El Camino Avenue, where CHP vehicles and a Citrus Heights Police Department vehicle were involved.
The deputy did not participate in the pursuit, which continued southbound on Fulton Avenue.
The Sheriff’s Office said the man eventually stopped his vehicle on Fulton Avenue, just north of Michelle Drive, and exited carrying a knife.
The release states that the man began pacing back and forth in front of his vehicle while officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the knife.
A Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy arrived and prepared a less-lethal shotgun in anticipation of a possible confrontation.
According to the department, a Citrus Heights police officer deployed a Taser, but it was ineffective.
The Sheriff’s Office then described the encounter escalating as the man allegedly advanced toward officers.
“Despite repeated commands to drop the knife, the suspect charged toward officers while still armed,” the release states.
The department said the sheriff’s deputy discharged one less-lethal round, striking the man in the chest.
“As the suspect continued advancing toward officers, an officer-involved shooting occurred,” the release states.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that officers immediately began providing lifesaving medical aid until fire personnel arrived. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he was described as being in stable condition.
The department said the knife was recovered from the scene.
No Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies or CHP officers fired their duty weapons, according to the release. Two Citrus Heights police officers discharged their firearms.
No deputies or officers were injured.
The release does not identify the man, the officers who fired or the number of rounds discharged. It also does not specify the distance between the man and the officers when the shooting occurred.
Although the department describes the man as charging toward officers, the release does not identify the evidence supporting that description or indicate whether the account is based on officer statements, body-worn camera recordings, independent witnesses or other information.
The release also does not establish how much time elapsed between the unsuccessful Taser deployment, the less-lethal shotgun discharge and the use of firearms.
The sequence described by the department places the shooting after repeated commands and two attempts to stop the man with less-lethal weapons.
The Sheriff’s Office also describes the man as experiencing a mental health crisis without explaining how officers determined his mental health status.
The department provides no details about the circumstances that initially prompted the CHP officer to hold the man at gunpoint before the pursuit began.
The release does not describe whether officers attempted to create additional distance, establish a perimeter or employ other tactics before the confrontation escalated.
Nor does it specify whether the man was moving toward a particular officer, how close he was when shots were fired or whether his movements were captured on video.
The department does not distinguish between preliminary accounts and independently verified findings in its description of the confrontation.
“The investigation into this incident is still ongoing,” the release states.
The Sheriff’s Office said its Homicide Bureau would lead the investigation because the incident occurred within its jurisdiction, while the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office would conduct an independent review.
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