Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the name of the man who was killed in the officer-involved shooting.
A “suicidal’’ man armed with two knives was killed Friday night in an officer-involved shooting on Hickory View Court, Fayetteville police said.
Officers were dispatched to a residence on the 600 block of Hickory View Court just before 7:40 p.m. in reference to “an armed suicidal subject,’’ the Police Department said in a release.
Officers encountered a man armed with two knives outside behind a mobile home, police said.
“Officers tried to get him to put the knives down,’’ Assistant Police Chief Kim Braden said during a news conference Friday night.
After multiple attempts were made to get the man to put the knives down, he refused and officers tased him, Braden said.
“Once Tasers were deployed, the subject fought through the effects of the Taser, getting back to his feet and advancing on the officers,’’ Braden said. “At which time shots were fired by multiple officers.’’
The man had the knives as he advanced on the officers, the release said
The man died on the scene, police said.
Police on Saturday identified the man as 40-year-old Justin Livesay.
Braden said a sergeant and four officers responded to the call.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has been contacted to investigate the officer-involved shooting, the department said.
The involved officers will be placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure, the department said in a release.
The Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an internal investigation to ensure departmental policies and procedures were followed during the incident, the release said.
Braden was asked about bringing in mental health professionals to help de-escalate situations and whether everything was done in this case.
Braden said officers talked with the man in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
“They did try to convince the subject to put his knives down,’’ Braden said. “They did attempt to talk with the subject about what the problem was. All of these efforts proved ineffective.’’
Braden said each situation is unique.
He referred to a call earlier Friday in which officers successfully talked a man with a weapon out of a hotel room. In that case, the man fired shots while officers were on the scene.
“They were able to, through de-escalation and talking, convince the subject to come out and give himself up without any further incident,’’ Braden said. “All situations are unique.’’
In July, a woman who appeared to be “in crisis’’ was killed in an officer-involved shooting on Colgate Drive. The family of Jada Johnson said she was suffering a mental crisis.
Johnson was killed during what Fayetteville police say was a struggle with one of their officers over a firearm on July 1. The confrontation occurred after a prolonged stand-off between police and Johnson, who at times held a handgun.
Lorry Williams is editor of CityView TODAY. She can be reached at lwilliams@cityviewnc.com.
