Santa Clara police fatally shoot suspect said to be acting 'erratically'

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KTVU) - A young man is dead and a police officer on-leave after a shooting in the city of Santa Clara Thursday night.

Police are calling it a tragic scene and say a uniformed patrol officer shot and killed a suspect during a call for service.

Investigators say it started after they got a 911 call around 5 p.m. Thursday from someone on Deborah Drive saying their son was acting erratically.

Several police vehicles remained outside an apartment complex during the investigation.

Officers responded to the home and say some point it escalated with the man in his mid-20s ran off.

It's not clear exactly what happened next but police say a Santa Clara police officer deployed his Taser, then ultimately pulled his gun and opened fire, shooting and killing the young man.

He died near the train tracks under the Scott Boulevard overpass.

Santa Clara Police Captain Wahid Kazem said details were limited because the investigation was just beginning.
　
"During their contact...the incident transitioned to a situation where an officer had to use deadly force. One officer fired his weapon," said Capt. Kazem. "Truly this is a tragic scene that affects everyone involved...from the family to obviously the deceased and the officer as well."
　
For more than five hours, the Southbound lanes of the Scott Boulevard overpass were shut down while police gathered evidence.

Police say it's too early to know if the suspect was armed or if a weapon was recovered.

The officer was not injured.

He is a uniformed patrol officer and has been with Santa Clara Police for 8 years but has prior experience at another department and is now on leave.

The District Attorney's office also responded to the scene to complete its own parallel investigation into the shooting.