Sacramento police shoot sword-wielding man who was holding wife and children hostage
Police officers shot and wounded a sword-wielding Sacramento man who held others inside a Dragonfly Circle apartment Wednesday morning.
Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of a man using a sword to barricade himself and his family inside a residence on the 100 block of Dragonfly Circle. Authorities received additional information from the man’s wife, who reported that she and her children were not being allowed to leave, according to a Wednesday news release from the department.
Sacramento Police officers were dispatched to the Gateway West residence alongside officers from the Crisis Negotiation Team and SWAT.
According to the release, officers made numerous attempts to de-escalate the hostage situation over several hours. During this time, officers learned the man was holding his family hostage inside one of the home’s bedrooms.
At approximately 7:30 a.m., officers heard threats being made by the man and sounds of distress from his wife inside the home. When SWAT officers entered the residence, they found the man holding a long sword raised next to his wife and children.
One officer fired their duty weapon, striking the man. The hostages were rescued uninjured and the man was transported to a nearby hospital by the Sacramento Fire Department.
Authorities have yet to release the name of the suspect. He is in stable condition, according to the release, and will be booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on false imprisonment charges pending medical clearance.
The incident falls under the Sacramento City Council’s policy on police use of force, as well as SB 1421, which make public records relating to officer use of force accessible under the California Public Records Act. As such, video footage and audio associated with the incident will be released to the public within 30 days.
The handling of the incident is being investigated by the Sacramento Police Department’s Homicide Unit, Internal Affairs Division and Professional Standards Unit, according to the release. The investigation will focus on policy, tactics and training as they relate to the use of force.
The investigation is being monitored by the Office of Public Safety Accountability and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
This story was originally published August 10, 2022 at 7:44 AM.
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