By Rick Hurd and Harry Harris
Bay Space Information Group
CONCORD, Calif. — Cops shouted a number of warnings at a person and fired photographs at him after he refused to drop a big kitchen knife he was utilizing to stab his father, based on police and movies launched by the division.
All of it occurred on Feb. 18, when Harmony officers shot and killed 47-year-old Nathan Keesler, of Antioch. Police mentioned that Keesler attacked his father at a house within the 1900 block of Natoma Boulevard. Police had been referred to as to the house about 1:40 a.m. by Keesler’s mom.
Video from officers’ body-worn cameras launched by the Harmony Police Division confirmed Keesler holding the knife in his hand all through the complete encounter.
Police additionally recognized the officers who responded. The primary two to the scene had been Sgt. Christopher Souza and Officer Roy Olson. Olson fired a gun and Souza a Taser throughout the sequence of occasions, based on police and photographs.
The three that adopted had been recognized as Corporal David Padilla and officers David Rodriguez and Keny Rodriguez. These three additionally fired their weapons in some unspecified time in the future, police mentioned.
Police mentioned 5 officers fired 20 rounds whole over three separate volleys of gunfire. A couple of shot hit Keesler, however police mentioned they received’t know the precise variety of wounds he had till the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Workplace finishes its official post-mortem report.
The primary volley of photographs occurred after Olson and Souza entered the house and noticed Keesler stabbing his father. These photographs left Keesler immobile, based on police and the video footage.
The second volley got here together with a Taser gun deployment and left Keesler immobile once more. That sequence occurred after Olson moved towards the person and Keesler started to maneuver once more, showing on the video to slash at Olson’s leg with the knife.
The third — and remaining — volley got here after Olson tried to maneuver Keesler’s father and Keesler once more raised up with an obvious knife in his hand, the footage confirmed.
One bullet fired by police hit Keesler’s father, who additionally was bleeding from at the least three stab wounds, police mentioned. He survived after being handled by paramedics on the scene and being rushed by ambulance to a hospital.
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When Olson and Souza arrived, Keesler’s mom frantically greeted them. Earlier, when requested who had been stabbed, she instructed a 911 dispatcher: “My husband. Our son’s right here. He’s broke.” She instructed the dispatcher she was outdoors the home and that “I’m attempting to guard myself, too.”
The 2 officers “formulated a fast plan the place Souza can be prepared with a (Taser) and Olson can be prepared with a (gun). They entered by way of the open storage, discovered the door main into the home locked and compelled it open,” police mentioned.
Video from Olson’s body-worn digicam confirmed him kicking in a door main from an open storage within the inside of the house and instantly listening to screaming from the daddy yelling for assist. Olson yelled again, “Hey, drop the knife!” Kessler doesn’t cease the stabbing movement, and Olson fires, based on police and Olson’s video.
As Kessler lies immobile, Olson strikes in on him in an try and kick the knife away. As a substitute, video exhibits that Keesler lunges at Olson with what seems to be a knife and Olson does a maneuver to keep away from being minimize within the space of his thigh. The video then data the sounds of Olson’s gunshots and Souza’s Taser, and Keesler goes nonetheless once more.
Olson then tries to pull the injured man away, however video confirmed that Keesler once more refuses to drop a knife as he begins to lift up from his inclined place. By that point, the opposite three officers had been on the scene, and police mentioned all 5 barked orders for Keesler to drop the knife. When he didn’t, video exhibits gunfire erupting once more.
Keesler was pronounced useless inside the house.
The Contra Costa County District Lawyer is conducting its personal investigation into the taking pictures.
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