SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy allegedly shot and killed a knife-wielding man who family members say was suicidal Saturday.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, the shooting unfolded in the 6500 block of Campanile Street around 8:15 a.m. Saturday.
Bobbie Gilmore, sister to 36-year-old Christopher Gilmore, says she called for an ambulance after he allegedly cut himself. She told ABC10 she left the home when deputies arrived and gave them a warning, asking them not to hurt him.
"He has mental issues, he's not all stable in his head and he needed help," she said. "This was a cry for help, he needed help."
At least two deputies responded to the sidewalk in front of the home and contacted the man who was inside his garage, Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesman Amar Gandhi said.
"(Deputies) tried to negotiate with him to exit. He was holding a knife in his hand," said Gandhi. "That subject exited through the garage still holding that knife, was actually hit multiple times with a less lethal shotgun round which was actually pretty ineffective. He continued to advance, got within feet of a deputy and an officer-involved shooting ensued."
Authorities say the man was hit multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene. While it's unclear how many deputies opened fire and with how many rounds, Gandhi said two or three deputies were on scene at the time.
"Our ultimate goal in this, like you've witnessed in past several standoffs that we've had before, we'll stay as long as we need. As long as the subject is willing to talk with us, is willing to engage in some sort of discussion, we'll talk," said Gandhi. "We don't want this to ever happen, unfortunately, this action was kind of brought to us."
Bobbie Gilmore says she watched the entire thing and will never be able to forget it.
"He didn't need to be shot, he didn't need to be murdered. He needed help," she said. "He was a good guy, he had a good heart, he has kids, he wouldn't hurt anyone."
Gandhi says the sheriff's office has a mobile crisis unit for mental health calls, but they were off shift Saturday due to lack of staffing to be 24/7.
She describes her younger brother as a good cook, a great person who was good with kids and someone who would "always make you laugh."
Homicide detectives with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and officials with the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office are leading separate investigations, the Sheriff's Office said.
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