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UPDATE (8:23 p.m.):
McAllen police identified the suspect as 31-year-old McAllen resident Bryan Colunga and the officer who fired his weapon as Kyle Minister, who has been with the department for 3 ½ years.
McALLEN — McAllen police shot a man Monday who entered the police department lobby wielding two knives and making threats.
The shooting occurred at about 4:38 p.m., McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez confirmed during a news conference outside the police station Monday afternoon.
Officers fired at the unidentified man between two to three times after less-than-lethal methods failed to subdue him, Rodriguez said.
“He’s holding two knives and he’s banging on our glass as if baiting officers to come out,” Rodriguez said.
“Officers finally come out and try to talk him down. Those efforts failed. Our what we call pepper balls, that’s non-lethal, firearms were discharged. Those failed,” he added. “After officers struck the man, who the chief described only as a Hispanic male, with a pepper ball, he proceeded to throw one of the knives at an officer, while lunging at a second.
“At that point in time that subject, that suspect was engaged. One of our officers discharged his weapon at the individual.”
The man is currently receiving emergency medical care at a local hospital for gunshot wounds to his upper body, and perhaps a leg.
None of the officers who responded to the incident were harmed, the chief said.
The incident remains under investigation; however, Rodriguez commended his officers for their attempt to de-escalate the situation.
“They exercised tremendous restraint in trying to talk him down, and offered him help, trying to get him to put his weapons down. That failed. Less-than-lethal failed. Then he finally charged at one of our officers and that’s when he was finally engaged,” Rodriguez said.
