WALNUT CREEK — A 23-year-old man with mental health issues was shot and killed by police Sunday afternoon after he ran at officers with a crowbar, according to authorities.

As the man ran toward officers, police first fired bean bags in an attempt to stop the man, according to a police press release.

The incident unfolded at 4:41 p.m., when a woman called 911 to say her grandson came into her room and threatened her, according to a Walnut Creek police press release. During the call, the dispatcher heard a male voice yelling in the background.

Six minutes later, the man’s mother called 911 to say he her son was being violent and threatened her with a metal pole. The woman told the dispatcher her son has “mental health problems” and will be aggressive with police.

At 4:52 p.m., officers arrived at the home on Arlene Lane. At 4:53 p.m., dispatchers received a call from a resident on Sandra Court, located just around the corner from Arlene, who reported that a man was banging on his front door. The man was reportedly wearing a red bandana over his head and face and was holding a metal crowbar.

Officers searched the neighborhood for the man, and found him walking on Arlene. Officers ordered the man to drop the crowbar, according to the press release. The man ignored the officers and ran at them with the crowbar in hand, police said.

One officer fired less-than-lethal bean bags at the man, who continued to run toward the officers. At that point, two officers fired their handguns. The man fell to the ground but tried to get up, according to police.

Officers subdued the man and then attempted life-saving measures, including CPR, until paramedics arrived, police said. The man, who was not immediately identified, was taken to John Muir Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Neighbor Jenny Schneider said she was alerted to the situation from her daughter who called her to say that there were police and fire trucks stationed down the street. She left her house and was three-quarters of the way down her driveway when she heard “pop pop pop.”

“I turned and ran back into the house and locked myself in,” said Schneider, who added that she heard no more than four or five shots.

She said she called Walnut Creek police who assured her that the situation was “handled.”

Schneider and another neighbor, Lisa Angus, said they knew the young man involved, that he had grown up with their children. “He’s a sweet, sweet boy,” Angus said. “He’s dealing with a lot.”

Related Articles Walnut Creek police officers who shot mentally ill man wore body cameras Schneider said: “It’s a situation that everyone in America is dealing with right now. Unfortunately we don’t know how this happened. It’s very sad. … Mental illness is a real thing and people need to get help.”

Eldon Hawksworth, a 23-year resident of Orchard Lane, said the neighborhood had recently been made aware by neighbors that their son was dealing with a mental illness, which he said was bipolar disorder.

“We have neighbors who talk to us, who look out for us,” Hawksworth said, adding that no one felt threatened by this disclosure. “The parents of this individual are great people.”

The Walnut Creek Police Department is currently investigating an Officer Involved Shooting near the area of Arlene Ln and Orchard Ln. Please avoid the area for now. More details to follow. — Walnut Creek PD (@walnutcreekpd) June 3, 2019

Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.