Teen with knife apologizes after being shot by police

Body camera footage that was released Thursday by California’s Oxnard Police Department showed a 17-year-old girl apologizing to an officer after she ran at him with a large knife.

Chief Scott Whitney described the confrontation on Friday, May 3, in an edited videopackage that was posted online by the department. The teenager’s face was blurred in the video due to her age.

Officers had received multiple calls regarding a woman with a 12-inch knife who “seemed disturbed,” Whitney said.

Officer Timothy Roberts’ body camera showed him telling the girl to not to reach for the weapon and to sit on the curb. Roberts was the first to arrive at the scene. When told not to reach for the knife, the teenager asked what would happen if she did.

“Then something bad is going to happen,” Roberts said.

The camera showed the officer backing away from the girl, who was wearing a red shirt, blue shorts and sneakers.

“Drop it,” the officer could be heard saying.

“No,” she replied.

“Come on shoot me,” she continued. “I’ve been waiting all day.”

The officer continued to move away from her while commanding her to drop the knife. The teenager refused to drop the knife and continued to walk toward him.

When she suddenly began running at Roberts with the knife in her right hand, he shot her multiple times and she collapsed.

Following the shooting, the officer was able to get the knife away.

“I’m so sorry,” the teenager said while writhing on the pavement.

“It’s OK,” an officer is heard saying.

The officer was seen giving her medical aid as they waited for an ambulance.

The girl remained hospitalized Thursday in critical but stable condition, officials said. The investigation was ongoing and Roberts was placed on administrative leave, in accordance with police policy. The second officer arrived moments before the shooting and was preparing to use a beanbag weapon to try to subdue the girl, according to a police statement.