Authorities on Thursday released the name of a man who was fatally shot by a Chula Vista police officer while armed with a knife in a shopping center parking lot Sunday night, as well as the name of the officer.
Police said Officer Alfonso Perdomo shot Bradley Munroe, 32, as the Chula Vista resident approached the officer with the knife in his hand. Perdomo had told Munroe to drop the knife, but he did not comply, police said.
Perdomo, a canine handler, has been on the police force for about five years.
The officer had responded about 8:20 p.m. to calls about a woman being hit by a man and screaming for help in the shopping center on Broadway near Oxford Street. The 911 callers said the man was walking with a wheelchair and hitting cars with his hands and parts from the wheelchair, police said.
When Perdomo arrived, the suspect, now identified as Munroe, was holding a knife, police said. The officer told Munroe to drop the knife, but Munroe did not comply and instead climbed into the bed of a pickup, crouched down and began hitting the back windows of the truck, police said.
Munroe then jumped out of the pickup and began to approach the officer, with the knife in his hand. Perdomo told him to stop, but Munroe continued to approach, police said. That’s when Perdomo shot Munroe, who was struck several times and died before he could be taken to a hospital.
The San Diego Police Department is investigating the shooting in accordance with a countywide agreement that says agencies will no longer investigate shootings by their own officers or deputies.
Once San Diego police complete the investigation, the county District Attorney’s Office will review the case, as is protocol, to determine if the officer will face any criminal charges.
San Diego police homicide Lt. Jud Campbell said Thursday that the woman involved in the initial incident was not believed to be a victim of a crime. The lieutenant said the woman is related to Munroe, but did reveal the specifics of that relationship.
Police said the shooting was captured on the officer’s body-worn camera. State law requires agencies to release footage of police shootings within 45 days, with few exceptions.