NATIONAL CITY

Machete-Wielding Man Shot and Killed by Police Officers in National City

The National City Police Department said the man threatened an officer with a machete in the moments leading to two officers shooting and killing the suspect

NBC Universal, Inc.

A man who allegedly threatened National City Police Department officers with a machete was shot and killed by officers Friday morning in San Diego County. Here's what we know, so far.

What to Know

  • An employee at a self-storage business on west 33rd Street at National City Boulevard called police at around 4:20 a.m. Friday morning to report there was a man on the property, carrying a large knife
  • National City Police Department officers found the man near the business; he was carrying a machete
  • The NCPD said officers told the man to stop walking, but he refused. Police said the man then allegedly threatened an officer with the machete, and two officers fired their guns at him, killing him

National City Police Department Lt. Derek Aydelotte told NBC 7 that officers were dispatched to an alarm call at a self-storage business on west 33rd Street and National City Boulevard at around 4:20 a.m. An employee called police to report there was a man on the property, armed with a large knife.

Aydelotte said that when NCPD officers first got to the business, they did not see the man the caller had reported.

Other officers arrived for backup and came across a man armed with a machete near 33rd Street and Hoover Ave., the lieutenant said.

The officers tried to contact the man with the machete, but he refused to follow orders. Aydelotte said NCPD officer tried to use a Taser on the man, but it didn’t work.

The National City Police Department said the man threatened an officer with a machete in the moments leading to two officers shooting and killing the suspect. NBC 7's Kelvin Henry has more.

Aydelotte said an officer was “threatened with a machete,” which led to two officers pulling out their service guns and firing at the suspect.

“Officers attempted to use a Taser to affect the detainment. It was not successful. An officer was threatened with a machete," Lt. Aydelotte said. "Unfortunately, lethal force was used against the suspect.”

The man that the officer shot died at the scene, the NCPD confirmed.

The two officers involved in the shooting were not harmed.

Aydelotte said the investigation is ongoing and, as of 9 a.m., the man’s name was not being released yet by police. The NCPD officers who shot the man will be placed on administrative duties, per protocol, while the investigation continues.

The lieutenant told NBC 7 all officers involved in Friday’s incident were wearing body cameras on their uniforms.

No further details have been released; check back for updates on this developing story.

Contact Us