An Oakland landlord said a city policeman "probably felt he had no choice" but to open fire Friday on a man carrying a meat cleaver in his raised hand who ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon and kept approaching the officer.
The man, identified by the landlord as Nang T. Nguyen, was shot and killed shortly after 3 p.m. during the confrontation with the landlord and police at the corner of Atwood and Bates streets in Oakland.
City police Chief Nate Harper said detectives from the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office are investigating, but that preliminary indications are that the policeman -- identified by fellow officers as Eric Tatusko, a 15-year veteran -- followed proper departmental procedures and protocol.
It was the third officer-involved fatal shooting of the year in the city. A fourth involving a county officer occurred in Moon.
"I was scared. He chased me. He (Nguyen) was so close," said the landlord, Chong Won Kim, owner of the Oriental Super, which is on the first floor of the apartment building where Nguyen lived.
"The policeman probably felt he had no choice. We couldn't control him (Nguyen)," Kim said. "The police did his job."
Kim said Nguyen, 48, a longtime tenant from Vietnam who lived in a third-floor apartment, had a history of mental problems and required medication to remain emotionally stable.
"He took medication all the time. He came downstairs with the knife. He was mad, and he threatened me. He was talking to himself and growling. I know when I see him like that he needs his medicine," Kim said.
"I ran away. He tried to chase me so I ran outside. When he went back upstairs, I called 911 to get somebody to take him to the hospital."
When Tatusko arrived, Kim went outside to tell him what happened.
"I heard yelling inside the store. I opened the door and (Nguyen) was standing in the middle of the store with the knife. I told the police he was inside. (Nguyen) came outside and followed the police with the knife. The police told him to drop the knife three or four times. Still he followed police.
"The police took his gun out and warned him couple more times. 'Drop the knife! Drop the knife!' (Nguyen) kept talking to himself and growling so he shot him," Kim said.
"I don't know why he shot him in the chest. He had no choice probably, but maybe the leg⢠I don't know. I didn't know people die so easily. It's very sad."
Kim said Nguyen had been in the United States for about 20 years and could speak and understand English.
Harper and a number of witnesses gave essentially the same account of the incident.
"I didn't see anything but I heard it," said Dennis Raspanti Jr., 25, who was sitting on his porch on Atwood Street.
"I heard the cop say, 'Put down the knife,' and then I heard the shot," he said.
Raspanti's father, Dennis Raspanti Sr., 52, was on the porch and saw the incident.
"I heard a scream. I saw the officer with his gun and the other guy going slowly toward him. The policeman ordered him three or four times, 'Stop! Drop it! Put it down!' I didn't see what was in his (Nguyen's) hand. He held it up high," the elder Raspanti said.
"The cop was walking backwards but the guy wasn't listening. The cop had both of his hands on his gun. He (Nguyen) fell like a ton of bricks. I wish he could have shot him in the leg. I feel bad for the policeman who had to make the decision."
Nguyen was pronounced dead at the scene by city paramedics.
Carol Runco, who identified herself as a former mental health therapist and county probation officer, said she thinks police need to come up with a better plan to deal with people with mental problems.
"I think the police need to be trained in handling people who are probably actively psychotic," she said.
Kim said the police and social workers had taken Nguyen to the hospital in the past when he failed to take his medication.
"Usually, when he'd come back and I told him what he did, he'd say, 'Oh, I did that⢠I'm sorry.' When he was on his medicine, he was OK. He was quiet and kept to himself," Kim said.
Kim said Nguyen, who was unemployed, didn't have a girlfriend. He said that Nguyen had a sister but that he never saw her at the apartment. A social services agency helped pay his rent.
"Usually, I'm not scared of him. Today was really bad," Kim said.
Tatusko was put on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in police-involved shootings, Harper said.
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl inspected the shooting scene with Harper "to show my concern for the safety of the officers and residents. ... Safety is my number one concern."
The city's Office of Municipal Investigations -- which looks into claims of wrongdoing by all city employees -- found no evidence to substantiate allegations made against Tatusko after a traffic stop in Shadyside in 2006.
The motorist, Pamela Lawton of the Hill District, claimed that Tatusko pulled his gun, aimed it at her children and threatened to kill them. Lawton later was convicted of numerous traffic offenses and fined.
Fatal shootings by police officers this year
Who: Gary Dennison, 64, of Moon
When: Feb. 9
Where: South Patton Drive in Moon, near Pittsburgh International Airport
Why: Used his vehicle in attempt to hit police officers who pulled him over for erratic driving
Officer involved: 10-year veteran of Allegheny County police force
Investigation outcome: Pending
Who: David Price, 30, of Grampian, Clearfield County
When: March 21
Where: Corner of 26th and Smallman streets in the Strip District
Why: Fired at officers who confronted him for throwing rocks at an unmarked police car
Officer involved: City homicide Detective George Satler, who was wounded in the shootout, and Detective Tim Rush.
Investigation outcome: Pending. Both officers returned to duty the following week.
Who: Justin Jackson, 19, of Knoxville
When: May 6
Where: Arlington Avenue at the border of Knoxville and Mt. Oliver
Why: Fired at two officers when they stopped to talk to him because they suspected he was carrying a gun. Jackson killed a police dog before the two officers returned fire, killing him.
Officers involved: K-9 Officer Christian Sciulli and Officer Justin Simoni
Investigation outcome: Pending. Sciulli and Simoni returned to duty May 10.
