Escondido police fired several shots at a man who they say had a knife and "ran at officers" multiple times at a busy intersection Wednesday afternoon.
The Escondido Police Department said officers received multiple calls reporting a man with a knife screaming and jumping in front of cars in the area of West Felicita Avenue and South Centre City Parkway. Those calls came in around 12:10 p.m.
Lt. Chris Tivanian, a member of San Diego Police Department Homicide Unit, which is leading the investigation, said the incident ended about a half-mile from where officers were first dispatched, at the intersection of 13th Avenue and South Centre City Parkway.
He told ABC 10News an Escondido PD detective, who was in plain clothes, approached the man in the intersection, and the man charged at the detective while holding the knife.
In response, Lt. Tivanian said Escondido police officers fired their handguns at the man. He said multiple officers then fired a second round of shots. Police gave repeated orders for the man to drop his knife, but he refused. He said officers then switched to shooting rubber bullets, firing off four to five rounds.
“One of those rounds actually kncocked the knife out of the suspect’s hands, which gave the officers the opportunity to approach him, take him into custody and get him medical treatment," Lt. Tivanian said.
Police said the man was taken to Palomar Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Police said he was in surgery and expected to survive.
(Photo reporting partner ABC 10News)