A man has been injured after a Glendale police officer tased him while he was holding a large knife to himself, causing him to fall on the weapon.
Officers responded to reports of a "suspicious" fire just after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 23. When officers arrived at the scene, they spoke to a man who was behaving suspiciously, according to police spokesperson Sgt. Randy Stewart on Wednesday.
Body camera footage of the incident released on Wednesday shows the officer involved speaking to the man. Officers later realized that the man was the arsonist associated with the burning home.
'Put the Knife Down'
The officer can be heard telling the man not to go inside the house because "it's not safe." The officer then directed the man to move out of the way of the firefighters. After returning to the officer's side, the man pulled out a knife.
After returning to the officer's side, the man pulled out a knife. As soon as the officer saw the knife, he tried to grab it from him. "Let me have the knife. Put the knife down," the officer is heard saying. The man refuses to comply and walks away. The officer, once again, tells the man to "put the knife down" but the man instead holds the weapon close to his chest and neck.
'The Knife is in His Neck'
Refusing to obey his orders, the officer points the taser at the man and asks him one last time to put the knife down before firing the taser. The man falls face-forward towards the ground, stabbing himself with the knife he was holding.
The officer lunges forward as the man falls in an attempt to grab him and cuts himself in the process. "The knife is in his neck," the officer says as he tries to roll the man over and pull out the knife.
A firefighter approaches to assist the officer and they manage to roll the man over onto his back by dragging him. The video ends with the man in a fetal position with the knife still stuck in his neck. Watch the video below:
The man was eventually treated for his injuries and transported to a local hospital. His condition is not yet known.
