Police officers fatally shot a man who allegedly approached them with a knife in hand after initially barricading himself in an apartment amid a domestic violence investigation in Pleasanton on Thursday afternoon.
The Pleasanton Police Department has not released the identity of the man who died. The names of the officers, who were said to be uninjured, have also not been revealed publicly.
"We know the public wants to know more, which is why we're moving quickly to gather the facts," Lt. Erik Silacci said in a statement Thursday evening.
According to Silacci, the situation began unfolding at 11:51 a.m., when emergency dispatch received a call from a victim in a domestic violence incident at an apartment complex on Willow Road, near the Owens Drive intersection across the street from the eastern Dublin-Pleasanton BART Station.
Pleasanton officers arrived to find a man inside an apartment refusing to come out, Silacci said. After initially barricading himself inside, the man "exited the building armed with a knife" in the afternoon and "an officer-involved shooting occurred," according to lieutenant.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Silacci. Additional details about the standoff and shooting were not revealed.
Pleasanton PD and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office are conducting separate investigations of the fatal encounter, Silacci said. The DA's Office investigates all use-of-force fatalities involving police in the county.
This marked the first fatal police shooting in Pleasanton since May 2017, when an officer shot and killed Shannon Edward Estill after the Pleasanton man charged out of his garage toward the officer with an apparent weapon later deemed to be a black, pistol-sized BB gun.
Estill had holed up in his house while officers responded to a domestic incident, authorities said. The DA's Office cleared Pleasanton PD Officer Keith Batt of criminal wrongdoing, deeming it justifiable self-defense.
The most recent in-custody death involving Pleasanton police, in which local resident Jacob Bauer died at a hospital hours after becoming unresponsive during a confrontational arrest in which he was physically restrained by officers in August 2018, also resulted in the DA's Office clearing city police of criminal wrongdoing. A lawsuit brought by Bauer's parents against the city was settled before trial for $5.9 million and no admission of fault or liability by police.
Comments
Registered user
Dublin
on Feb 18, 2022 at 4:29 pm
Registered user
on Feb 18, 2022 at 4:29 pm
I just saw the footage of this incident on KTVU. It was reported as a domestic dispute. How and what was said as it was reported to authorities is unknown. To me, it appears to be suicide by cop.
As to why there were more than a dozen officers (maybe 20 +), is a question to be asked. The other question should be asked as to how many shots were fired?
Don't read too much into my comments, or even presume you know my stance. I am merely asking operational questions.
Registered user
Avila
on Feb 19, 2022 at 3:37 am
Registered user
on Feb 19, 2022 at 3:37 am
Neither a blind supporter or critic of police.
After watching the footage the man was putting himself in a risky situation. But often we don't know the other side. Maybe he was having a nervous breakdown or on drugs. Or maybe he has a mental illness.
It doesn't seem like the guy was exiting the door and charging at them. What I saw was him exiting the door, a shot fired, and then everything freezes in the video.
Why were there so many cops? Did they fire when he was just walking out of the door? Were any officers really at risk?
Personally I feel the police are justified, but it's easy to judge without having some empathy looking at the possible situation(s) of the dead man. RIP and thanks to the PPD for doing a good job keeping the community safe.
Registered user
Pleasanton Valley
on Feb 19, 2022 at 10:06 am
Registered user
on Feb 19, 2022 at 10:06 am
[Post removed pending verification of factual information]
Registered user
Vintage Hills
on Feb 23, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Registered user
on Feb 23, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Information about this incident is hard to find and misleading when you find it in many ways. There is a clear video that shows the man walking until he lunges away from some police probably toward other police as there were so many. Possibly he was struck by a bean bag.
I notice the Weekly has taken down one post? Hopefully if this post does not qualify to remain you will give me a chance to modify it.
While the Pleasanton police have been given a directive to use de-escalation they clearly are not real believers in it. Below is a qoute from the police department website. Where thy seem to create a false dilemma regarding de-esclation.
"""A policy requiring the exhaustion of all alternatives regardless of feasibility or possible effectiveness before using force is unrealistic and dangerous. Time is an important factor and some situations do not afford officers the opportunity to exhaust all alternative"""""
Making excuses and disowing the concept in advance?
Nobody thinks they should pursue unfeasible ineffective means. They should however try some means other than yelling on bullhorns and smashing out a window and throwing in a grenade after three hours.
My Question to the police is what does De-escalation mean to them?
What avenues are feasible ? Do you really feel you were successful in serving the city of Pleasanton this day. Is this the best outcome pleasanton police could manage? Who are Pleasanton Police accountable to?
Another Qoute from Pleasanton Police Website?
>>>""At its August 20, 2020, meeting the City Council recommended that language be added to the police policy manual which encourages officers to utilize reasonably available alternative tactics which may persuade an individual to voluntarily mitigate the need to use force."""
Did they add the language reccomended? What does the manual say today about use of force? Is this manual available for the public to review?
Registered user
Pleasanton Meadows
on Feb 23, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Registered user
on Feb 23, 2022 at 2:36 pm
There is no evidence it was Pleasanton police doing the shooting.
In that video of the shooting. There is a Livermore police van. Two of the officers involved in the shooting are not in full uniform. They are wearing vests; the police shooters could be Livermore police not Pleasanton police.
Registered user
Vintage Hills
on Feb 23, 2022 at 2:49 pm
Registered user
on Feb 23, 2022 at 2:49 pm
Link to Pleasanton Police Manual
Web Link
300.3.6 ALTERNATIVE TACTICS - DE-ESCALATION
As time and circumstances reasonably permit, and when community and officer safety would not be compromised, [officers_deputies] should consider actions that may increase officer safety and
may decrease the need for using force:
Is this a strong statment regarding to De-escalation and avoiding unecessary use of force?
Registered user
Del Prado
on Feb 24, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Registered user
on Feb 24, 2022 at 7:43 pm
How long were the PD there PleasantonJim before the shooting?
Thank you PPD for keeping the rest of the community safe. Hope the victim is doing ok through all this.