Police Shoot Man (BEE)

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* This is a really small amount of info to go on, but we should keep our eyes out on this issue, see what happens, what the whole story is.

Officer shoots man

A Modesto police officer shot and wounded a man who, according to police, charged out of a north Modesto house and threatened the officer with a knife. The man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.

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Suspect shot by police

BEE STAFF REPORTS
Last Updated: November 6, 2005, 04:38:08 AM PST

A Modesto police officer shot a knife-wielding man after he charged at officers early Saturday morning, Modesto police reported.

Police responded to Muscat Way, near Standiford Avenue and Winegarden Drive in north Modesto, at 6:45 a.m. after a report that a man was standing in the street holding a knife.

When they arrived, officers found the front door ajar at the suspect's home. As they approached, a man came out and charged them with a knife, officer Michael Amarillas said.

Officers tried using "less than lethal force" on the man, but it was unsuccessful. Amarillas said that because the investigation is ongoing, he could not say what other measures were taken.

The officers backed away and moved to the street, where one of the officers shot the man, Amarillas said.

The man was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries and remained in surgery Saturday night, Amarillas said.

The man's name was not released because the incident is under investigation, Amarillas said. The man has not been charged, and detectives hope to speak with him today, Assistant Police Chief Mike Harden said.

The officer who shot the man was put on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure with officer-involved shootings. The officer's name was not released.

The shooting is being investigated by the Stanislaus County district attorney's office and the Modesto Police Department.

Police ask anyone who witnessed the shooting to call Detective Ray Coyle at 572-9606.