The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, in southern California, USA, has confirmed that the two police officers who shot and killed a Gambian-American former soldier have been put on administrative leave.
They have been named as Sergeant Eric Delgadillo and Deputy Anthony Muneton.
According to the police, Abdou Rahman Nyan, 34, from the state of Connecticut was fired on and killed after he stabbed another man outside a store, fled inside, then charged at the police while holding two knives.
The police said Nyan got into an altercation with another man after he abused his dog. They claimed Nyan stabbed the man twice and then fled into the store and barricaded himself in the public bathroom in the back of the store.
The police then placed store display racks in front of the bathroom door in an effort to contain him and “attempted to negotiate his surrender”.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff spokesperson Raquel Zick explained: “Moments later, Nyan suddenly opened the door, pushed through the barricade, and charged toward the deputies clutching a metal trashcan as a barrier while holding a knife in each hand. Deputies were positioned less than 10 feet away in the narrow alcove outside the restroom and issued verbal commands. One deputy used a Taser device and two deputies fired six rounds from their service weapons. Deputies immediately secured both knives and began lifesaving measures. Fire and medical personnel arrived shortly thereafter and pronounced Nyan deceased at the scene,” Zick said.
The investigation will be submitted to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for review and determination whether the shooting was a justifiable homicide.
