A man was shot and killed inside a Home Depot in Fontana after arming himself with a saw, according to the Fontana Police Department.
Officers initially responded to a distress call near Sierra and Jurupa Avenues about a man exhibiting erratic behavior and endangering himself by running in and out of traffic.
When police arrived, the man entered the home improvement store at Santa Ana Avenue and picked up a carbon steel jab saw. Jab saws have wide teeth and are often used to cut through drywall.
Officers fired several shots after issuing multiple verbal commands and attempting to tase the man, according to police.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Witness Luis Cervantes said he was inside the store when officers shot and killed the individual.
“I didn’t know if he was stealing or not," Cervantes explained. "Let’s say he was stealing. He didn’t deserve to die that way."
Local
The witness said he is upset with the way officers handled the situation and believes they acted too quickly.
“They should have pointed the gun to the legs. I mean they already tased him once," said Cervantes. “Both of the officers -- they went in. They killed this guy. He didn’t deserve it.”
Fontana Police Chief Michael Dorsey said the individual armed with the carbon steel jab saw "posed a threat to both law enforcement officers and civilians present at the scene."
The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department is handling the lethal force investigation as Fontana Police conducts an internal review of the incident.
