Holly MatkinPomona, CA – A sword-wielding suspect sliced his brother’s head before getting into a deadly confrontation with Pomona police (video below).
The incident occurred in the area of South Reservoir Street and East Third Street at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Mar. 30, the Pomona Police Department (PPD) said in a video briefing.
A 41-year-old man had called 911 to report that his brother, 37-year-old Anthony Pacheco, had attacked him with a sword, causing a four-inch laceration to his scalp just behind his right ear, The Mercury News reported.
“He’s walking like nothing happened,” the victim told the 911 operator, referring to his attacker. “He’s walking down the street.”
Police responded to the area and spoke with the victim, who then pointed him in the direction of Pacheco, bodycam footage showed.
When PPD Corporal Chad Jensen pulled up near him, the suspect fled on foot and unsuccessfully attempted to hide in a row of bushes, police said.
“Stop, motherf–ker,” Cpl. Jensen ordered as he stepped out of his vehicle and held Pacheco at gunpoint. “Stop now! Stop now! Let me see you’re f–king hands!”
Before the corporal had even finished issuing his command, Pacheco was already pulling the 26-inch sword from his waistband, bodycam footage showed.
He ignored Cpl. Jensen’s orders to stop, and proceeded to advance on the retreating officer.
Cpl. Jensen rapidly fired multiple rounds at his attacker, who immediately collapsed face-down on to the pavement, the video showed.
Pacheco was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pacheco’s brother was treated at a local hospital and is expected to fully recover from his injuries, police said.
“The job of a police officer is difficult and dangerous,” PPD noted in the briefing. “As this case demonstrates, officers often must react to unpredictable circumstances, sometimes in a fraction of a second. It is a tragedy whenever there is an officer-involved shooting for the families of those involved, for the officers, and for the police department.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is handling the criminal investigation into the incident. Those findings will be forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The PPD will also review the findings to determine whether or not Cpl. Jensen’s use of deadly force adhered to the agency’s policies and procedures.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content and Obscene Language: