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Altercation between roommates led to Santa Clara police shooting
Authorities in Santa Clara gave an update on a fatal officer involved shooting that happened in Santa Clara early Wednesday. They say the responding officer stopped a stabbing in progress, likely saving the victim's life.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - A stabbing attack involving roommates in Santa Clara led to an officer kicking down a door and discharging his gun, fatally striking the alleged perpetrator, authorities said.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday around 6:18 p.m. at a home in the 1800 block of Eisenhower Drive, according to the Santa Clara Police Department.
Officer kicked in door
What we know:
Chief Corey Morgan said the initial 911 caller reported a verbal altercation at the home, which escalated when a knife was pulled.
Morgan said four roommates lived at the home. When one of his officers arrived, the front door was locked, but he could hear a commotion inside. After identifying himself, the officer kicked in the door to gain entry and saw one roommate straddling another, who was pinned to the ground. Authorities said the man on top had a knife in his hand.
Morgan said the suspect ignored the officer's verbal commands.
"When the officer saw the suspect's hand holding the knife come down toward the victim, the officer shot four times, striking the suspect with all four of the shots," Morgan said.
The suspect later died at the hospital.
The victim survived but was treated for stab wounds to the hands, chest, lung, and abdomen.
Officials said the injuries came from two separate knives, as the first one broke during the attack, and the suspect retrieved another.
Prior disturbance at the home
Dig deeper:
Authorities said this was not the first time police had been called to the residence. On Aug. 12, there was a disturbance between the same two men over the air conditioning.
The house manager for the property said four men lived at the home, and they were high-tech workers, though the suspect was currently unemployed.
"I will only say the attacker had been out of the job market for one and a half years already. I don't know if that was the cause for his mental [instability]," the house manager said.
The responding officer was Robert Allsup, a 12-year veteran of the department.
Morgan praised Allsup for his bravery and quick actions, which likely saved the victim's life.
"Our officers train for moments like this not because we want to face them, but because we must be prepared to protect lives when every second counts," he said.
The Source: Santa Clara police press conference, previous reporting