Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : Calabasas, California – The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has released new body camera footage capturing the events leading up to the fatal shooting of a knife-wielding suspect outside the popular Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas.
The incident took place on the evening of November 1st when officers responded to a call about a man armed with a machete on Avenue San Luis. According to the police, the suspect had attacked someone with the machete outside a nearby McDonald’s.
The victim managed to disarm the suspect of the machete, but the suspect then pulled out a knife. Distressed, the victim made a 911 call, urgently seeking help. “I was just attacked by a man with a machete … in Calabasas at the McDonald’s,” he exclaimed.
The armed suspect was identified as Benjamin Pritchard. In the newly released video, arriving officers can be seen quickly spotting Pritchard in a nearby parking lot, after which he takes off running. The officers pursue him in their patrol vehicles, even driving into the McDonald’s drive-thru at one point. Eventually, they catch up to Pritchard as he approaches the 101 freeway.
At that moment, Pritchard lunges at the officers’ vehicle with a knife clearly visible in his hand. He then continues to run toward oncoming traffic. “Hey! Drop that knife!” yells one of the officers. Another officer alerts the public of the potential danger using the vehicle’s loudspeaker, urging drivers to lock their windows and move.
However, Pritchard ignores the warnings and heads straight for the Sagebrush Cantina restaurant. Officers immediately instruct everyone inside to seek shelter and lock the doors. They chase Pritchard into a patio area just outside the restaurant and deploy a Taser, but Pritchard turns towards them with the knife, prompting the officers to open fire.
Pritchard was struck by gunfire and taken to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Fortunately, the victim of the original machete attack did not sustain any serious injuries, and no officers were harmed during the incident. The machete and knife used in the altercation were recovered at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, as authorities continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses. The release of the body camera footage aims to provide transparency and shed light on the events leading up to the use of deadly force by the officers involved.