Police: Man wounded by Citrus Heights officer tried carjacking before he was shot
A man shot by police Monday in Citrus Heights after allegedly charging at an officer with a knife had earlier tried to carjack a motorist at knifepoint, authorities said.
The Citrus Heights Police Department said officers responded shortly after 10:30 a.m. to reports of a man threatening people with a knife in the parking lot of a shopping plaza in the 7800 block of Lichen Drive, near Antelope Road. Officers said they found the man, identified as 28-year-old John Angel Marmol Elias, still armed with the knife.
Police said officers tried to de-escalate the situation, but Elias ran toward an officer while holding the knife. That officer fired a shot, wounding him. No officers or bystanders were injured.
Investigators later determined Elias had attempted to carjack a person at knifepoint in the same parking lot before authorities arrived, the Police Department said in a statement late Monday. The carjacking attempt did not result in injuries.
Elias — who remains in the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening — was arrested on suspicion of attempted carjacking. Police said they expect to seek additional charges as the investigation continues.
The officer who fired the shot was placed on paid administrative leave, following department policy. The shooting is under review by both the Citrus Heights Police Department and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
Police were also expected to release video from body-worn and patrol car cameras, as mandated by Senate Bill 1421, which requires disclosure of police records pertaining to incident of great bodily injury within 30 days of an incident.
The incident marked the first police shooting by Citrus Heights officers since October, according to previous Bee reporting.
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