A California deputy fatally shot a suspect threatening to kill a hostage with a 10-inch hunting knife, dramatic video shows.
The footage, released Wednesday by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, shows suspect Deven Karl Moore, 25, telling deputies to stay away as he held an elderly man hostage at a business yard in Oildale on Feb. 9.
“Back away!” Moore yelled to approaching deputies. “Back away! Back off of me now! Put your weapon away! You’re f–king with me!”
Moore then threatened to stab the man while holding a large knife to his neck inside a small shack, the clip shows — prompting Deputy Austin Burgess to open fire, killing him.
“Go, go,” deputies told the hostage after shooting Moore, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The elderly man was unharmed, department officials said.
The suspect, Deven Karl Moore, runs into a shack hiding from officers. Kern County Sheriff
Moore finds an elderly man inside the shack. Kern County Sheriff
Officers gave Moore multiple warnings, but the incident continues to escalate. Kern County Sheriff
Moore held a hunting knife against the hostage’s neck. Kern County Sheriff
He threatens to harm the elderly man inside the shack. Kern County SheriffMoments earlier, a 911 caller told deputies an armed suspect was assaulting a family member in the 3200 block of State Road, where Moore was allegedly running around with a sledgehammer and knocking out windows.
A second 911 caller at a nearby business told deputies a suspect armed with a sledgehammer and a knife had terrorized him and told him to leave. Responding deputies encountered Moore, but he ignored commands to stop and ran off, footage shows.
Just prior to taking the man hostage, Moore disregarded a deputy’s order to drop the knife and a fire extinguisher that he deployed in an attempt to conceal his movements, according to department officials.
Moore resists the officers’ orders. Kern County Sheriff
The hostage escapes the dangerous situation. Kern County Sheriff
The elderly man leaves without injury. Kern County Sheriff
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office followed department policy on the use of force. Kern County Sheriff“Deven, stop!” one deputy told him. “Don’t give yourself any more trouble, bro. Just stop and drop the knife and drop the fire extinguisher.”
The use of force in the fatal deputy-involved shooting was determined to be within department policy, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Burgess was placed on routine administrative leave after the deadly shooting while the department’s findings have been turned over to prosecutors for review of possible criminal charges, sheriff officials said.
