San Diego police in California have released video footage of an officer fatally shooting a man wielding a knife during a confrontation in Bird Rock.
The incident occurred on La Jolla Boulevard near Midway Street, where the man, identified as 25-year-old Dejon Marques Heard, was seen standing by a car and behaving erratically. Witnesses reported hearing the man shouting while holding the knife.
Body camera footage from the officers shows Heard approaching the patrol vehicle with the knife raised.
Despite repeated commands to drop the knife, Heard continued advancing toward Officer Tarik Andrew, prompting the officer to use lethal force. Heard was taken to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Heard’s grandmother shared that he had struggled with mental health issues and had a history of hospitalizations and difficulty in maintaining stability.
“There were times he would have anxiety attacks … and he would get in his own head and would have his moments. It’s heartbreaking… His friends would often offer him a couch to sleep on, but he would rather sleep in his car because he never wanted to inconvenience anyone. He was a generous, loving, soft kid.” – Susan Klat, Heard’s grandmother