Police: Officer Shot, Killed Suspect When He Confronted Lawman with Knife

A man who allegedly threatened a police officer with a knife during a confrontation in downtown Banning was fatally shot by the patrolman, authorities said Friday.

The officer-involved shooting occurred shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday in the 300 block of South San Gorgonio Avenue, between Lincoln Street and Interstate 10, according to the Banning Police Department.

Lt. Brandon Smith said patrol officers were sent to the location to investigate reports of an armed man intimidating customers and employees of a business.

When officers reached the location, they encountered the suspect, whose identity was not immediately released, near the venue, Smith said.

"The subject was still armed with a knife and charged at (an) officer, resulting in an officer-involved shooting," the police spokesman said.

"Life-saving measures were performed on the subject, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene," he said. "The officer involved in this incident was not injured during the contact."

The matter was turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Force Investigations Detail for a review of the encounter and the officer's response.

District Attorney's Office personnel will also examine the circumstances to determine whether force was justified, according to Smith.

The officer who shot the suspect has been placed on paid administrative leave. The lawman's identity was not disclosed.