Police Fatally Shoot Knife-Wielding Man

On Monday morning, a Lompoc police officer shot and killed Michael Giles, 27, who was wielding a knife in a threatening manner, the department reported in a prepared statement later that day.

Officers responded to a laundromat on North Street after someone called the police, saying a white man who appeared intoxicated was threatening people. When police arrived, Giles fled out the back, and a pursuit across North Street ensued. Giles hid in the shrubs. “Officers began checking the area. As they did this the suspect confronted officers with the knife resulting in the suspect being shot,” the department said.

Police identified the officer as corporal Charles Scott, who has been with the department for four years after serving eight years at the Chowchilla Police Department. No other information has been released.