An Illinois police officer fatally shot a man wielding a knife and hammer after he allegedly set a fence on fire and doused a neighbor's house in gasoline last month.
The incident involving a Waukegan police officer happened at about 12:45 p.m. Aug. 24, WBBM-TV reports. In body camera footage released last week, the officer is seen responding to reports of a neighborhood disturbance after a man identified as Manjarrez, 26, shattered a neighbor's window and set fire to a wooden fence. He also was accused of pouring gasoline on a neighbor's home and tried to get a chainsaw running.
When the officer reached the scene, he grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the flames on the fence. But when Manjarrez, who was armed with a knife, began advancing, the officer abandoned the extinguisher and told the man to drop his knife.
Manjarrez kept approaching, raising the knife above his head. That's when the officer is seen firing five shots at Manjarrez, who fell to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the incident, police said Manjarrez had been carrying a hammer, as well as a knife, and he had a gas can taped to his chest. The Illinois State Police is investigating the shooting.
