MODESTO, Calif. – Police in California say officers feared for their safety when they gunned down a man who turned out to be wielding only a metal spatula when he was shot.
Modesto police Sgt. Rick Armendariz says the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Francisco Moran occurred after family members reported he was drunk, belligerent and armed with a knife.
Armendariz told The Modesto Bee that three officers entered the house to find an elderly man injured on the floor and family members yelling that Moran had a knife.
Armendariz said that after officers shot Moran with a Taser stun gun to no effect, the suspect lunged at them while reaching for a shiny metal object they later discovered was a spatula.
The two officers who opened fire are on paid leave.
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Information from: The Modesto Bee, http://www.modbee.com
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