HESPERIA, CA — Law enforcement shot a knife-wielding man after attempting to rescue him from an aqueduct in San Bernardino County, according to authorities.
Deputies were dispatched shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday to Main Street and Escondido Avenue in Hesperia to respond to a man armed with a knife covered in blood, authorities said.
They made contact with the man, but he refused to drop the knife and entered an aqueduct, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which added that deputies unsuccessfully tried to rescue the man with a rope, but he eventually grabbed a nearby ladder and climbed out.
"The subject continued to refuse deputies' commands and advanced toward them," the sheriff's department said in an advisory. "A deputy involved shooting occurred, and the subject was struck by gunfire."
The man was airlifted to a trauma center and the sheriff's Specialized Investigations Division took over the investigation, according to the advisory.
Anyone with information was asked to call 909-890-4904, authorities said. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should call or text "REPORT" to We-Tip at 844-909-3006. Online reporting is also available at mobile.catapultems.com/sbcsd/Sites.
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