Inglewood police fatally shot a man in a grocery store Saturday after he lunged at an officer with an ax, authorities say.
Officers arrived at City Farm Market in the 10800 block of Prairie Avenue about 9:30 p.m. after employees reported that a man was in the store threatening people with a knife, according to a Inglewood Police Department statement. Upon arrival, officers were informed that the man had been stabbing himself and was hiding on the premises. Following a trail of blood through the store, the officers arrived at a walk-in refrigerator.
The suspect exited the refrigerator holding an ax that he had found inside and made a movement toward an officer, the statement said. Two officers shot the man multiple times, police said.
The officers have been identified as Sgt. John Knapp, a 28-year veteran of the department, and Sgt. Greg Held, a nine-year veteran of the department. Investigations will be conducted by Inglewood police and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The L.A. County coroner’s office has not confirmed the identity of the man.
— Corina Knoll
Learn about more than 100 fatal officer-involved shootings in Los Angeles County since January 2007, including at least seven others in Inglewood on The Times’ interactive Homicide Report. In that time period, coroner’s officials have reported at least 58 homicides in Inglewood.