Body cam footage shows police shoot knife-wielding suspect who rushed at officers

On May 19, 2024, around 6:40 p.m., Southeast Patrol Division uniformed officers responded to a radio call in the 100 block of West Colden Avenue, for a report of an Assault with a Deadly Weapon suspect. The individual, later identified as 42-year-old Wilver Blanco, was reported to be armed with a knife in the roadway, possibly under the influence of narcotics and chasing an elderly male at the location.

When the officers arrived to the area of the call, they found Blanco standing behind a vehicle parked on the street holding a knife in his right hand. The officers stopped their vehicle, deployed behind their respective doors and ordered Blanco multiple times to drop his knife. Blanco ignored the officers’ commands and climbed onto the rear bumper of the parked vehicle. While still gripping the knife in his right hand, Blanco then stepped off the bumper, assumed a crouched position and ran toward the passenger officer, resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting.

Blanco was struck by gunfire and was taken into custody without further incident. Officers rendered medical aid to Blanco until the arrival of Los Angeles Fire Department personnel, who after assuming care, transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.