Police Officer Fatally Shoots Man With Knife

A Santa Barbara police officer shot and killed a man Sunday night who advanced on the officer with a large knife and refused to comply with orders to stop and drop the weapon, Lt. Todd Stoney said in a media release Monday afternoon.

According to Stoney, the officer tried to make contact with the man walking in the area of Victoria and De La Vina streets at around 11:30 p.m. when “[a] shooting incident involving the officer occurred.” The officer wasn’t injured, but the suspect died at the scene, Stoney said. The name of the suspect has not been released, and it’s not clear how many shots were fired or how many times the man was hit.

Stoney wasn’t immediately available for questions, and police spokesperson Sgt. Riley Harwood said in a phone interview that no additional details on the shooting are being released since the investigation is still in its very early stages. As with any officer-involved shooting, Harwood explained, the SBPD will conduct its own in-depth review, and it’s likely the District Attorney’s Office will as well.

Check back for updates.