Azle officers fatally shot man with bean bag rounds as he advanced with knife, police say
Azle police have released more details about what they say led up to the death of an armed man when officers used “less lethal” methods of force to try to stop him from advancing toward them.
The man, armed with a knife, died Sunday morning after Azle police said they tried two methods to stop his advance toward responding officers.
The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Victory Christian Center in the 700 block of Boyd Road. Police were called to the area after a report of a “suspicious male … who was making threats,” according to a news release.
When the first officer arrived, police said, the man “immediately advanced.”
“While backing away, the officer deployed his taser, which was ineffective at stopping the armed man’s attack. A second officer deployed his less-lethal shotgun, striking the suspect,” the news release from the police department said. “The first bean bag stopped the advance, but the suspect still refused to drop the knife. The suspect attempted to get back up and move toward the officers. A second less-lethal bean bag was deployed. The suspect then complied with the officers’ commands and dropped his knife.”
Responding officers performed first aid until firefighters and EMS arrived, police said. The man was taken to a local hospital, but died.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified him as 28-year-old George Gordon III, of Azle. Gordon died from blunt force injuries of the chest and abdomen, according to the medical examiner. His death was ruled a homicide.
“Officers did not discharge their service weapons during the incident,” the police department said, adding that they’ve asked the Texas Rangers to investigate the incident.
