Santa Ana officer-involved shooting: Armed man killed after police respond to domestic dispute call

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Santa Ana police shot and killed a man armed with a knife early Friday morning after responding to a report of a domestic dispute, authorities said.

Two officers arrived at the scene around 3:45 a.m. in the 2400 block of South Olive Street and were confronted by the armed man. Authorities were responding to reports of a resident being assaulted by a family member.

When authorities arrived, they were confronted by the armed man, who was in his early 20s. The officers drew their weapons during an ensuing altercation and opened fire, according to investigators.

The suspect was shot multiple times. He was taken to a local trauma center, where he was pronounced dead around 4:30 a.m.

The shooting left neighbors in the area on edge.

"I just heard the shots and when I heard the shots I checked on my kids. After that, I just stayed in the house with them," neighbor Brian Johnson said.

Domestic violence calls are quite common, and they can be the most dangerous calls authorities face.

"Whether it be a family domestic violence, you know kids versus parents, husbands versus wives. Obviously, you don't know what you're going into. They're volatile situations. In this case, somebody was armed, which makes it even more difficult for the officers," Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

Authorities combed the neighborhood for witnesses and evidence. Residents said the man who was killed had just recently moved to the normally quiet area.

Family members said the man had been drinking heavily and confirmed he had a knife. They said officers had asked the man to drop the knife several times before opening fire.

No officers were injured in the shooting. A knife was also recovered at the scene.

An investigation into the shooting was ongoing.