The man who was shot by sheriff’s deputies early Wednesday morning has been identified as Michael Johnson, 26, of Thousand Oaks. Johnson was involved in a traffic collision at 1:14 a.m. on October 10, 2018 on Hillcrest Drive east of Duesenberg Drive in Thousand Oaks.
When deputies contacted Johnson, he confronted them with a knife and moved toward the deputies. Deputies tried to convince Johnson to drop the knife, but he did not comply. Deputies fired bean bag rounds from a less-lethal shotgun, striking Johnson multiple times in an effort to safely end the confrontation. However, he did not drop the knife and continued to advance toward the deputies in a threatening manner, leaving them no choice but to use lethal force. Deputies shot Johnson, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deputies involved in the shooting were Sgt. Russell King, a 23-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and Deputy Justyn Czyrklis, a six-year veteran.
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