An armed man’s confrontation with Oakland police came to a deadly end after he ignored repeated commands to drop a collection of weapons and lunged at officers, authorities said.
Dramatic video captured the minutes leading up to the shooting of Jose Angel Castillo, 43, who authorities alleged was carrying two makeshift spears when officers encountered him near a homeless encampment at 40th Avenue and International Boulevard, according to KTVU.
The video shows officers trailing Castillo down the street and repeatedly ordering him to drop the weapons before gunfire erupted.
The deadly encounter unfolded just after 2 p.m. on July 13 after the California Highway Patrol (CHP) called the Oakland Police Department (OPD) for assistance, according to police.
Video of the ordeal begins with a request for backup as an officer reports being with a man armed with two knives and behaving aggressively. As police confront him, officers can be heard ordering him to drop multiple objects, including what one officer identifies as a hammer, offering an early glimpse at the array of weapons involved in the encounter.
“We’re out with the subject holding two knives, being aggressive,” an officer can be heard telling dispatch.
The footage then captures officers repeatedly ordering the man to drop what he is holding as the confrontation escalates.
“Drop that,” one officer says. “Drop that too.”
Moments later, an officer tells the man he is being detained and orders him to put the weapons down.
“You need to drop those right now. We’re the police, man,” the officer says.
As the encounter intensifies, an officer radios that they have a “subject holding two knives” while another can be heard shouting, “Drop the knife!”
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At one point, an officer announces that he has a Taser ready.
The man can later be heard repeatedly demanding, “What are you doing to me?” and asking, “What have I done?”
The standoff continues as officers again command the man to stop and drop the weapons.
“Stop right there,” an officer repeatedly yells. “Drop the knife.”
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Another series of commands follows: “Drop the knives. Drop the knives!”
The man can be heard responding, “No! No! Leave me alone!”
The confrontation then erupts in gunfire. Immediately afterward, an officer radios, “Shots fired, shots fired!” as police order the man not to move.
OPD said officers encountered an armed individual and issued commands for him to comply.
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According to police, the man refused those commands and lunged at officers with a weapon. Officers responded with both less-lethal and lethal force, OPD said.
Castillo was struck by gunfire, and officers immediately attempted life-saving measures, but he died at the scene, according to police.
Police initially said multiple weapons were recovered following the deadly confrontation. The video appears to show the man carrying more than one weapon, with officers referring to two knives and a hammer during the encounter. Police later confirmed Castillo was armed with “bladed weapons” when officers encountered him.
No officers or bystanders were physically injured during the incident.
The officers involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with department policy, OPD said.
The shooting has also drawn scrutiny from civil rights attorney Jim Chanin, who monitors the Oakland Police Department and told KTVU he had concerns about aspects of the officers’ use of force.
“Did it justify deadly force? There are lots of people who are threats, the question is, does it – what kind of force is justified?” Chanin told the outlet.
The shooting has now triggered multiple investigations. OPD said it is conducting both criminal and administrative investigations into the officers’ use of force, while the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a separate independent investigation.
Oakland’s Community Police Review Agency has also been notified.
“The Department remains committed to transparency and will provide further updates as they become available and as appropriate under law,” OPD said.
Police said additional information is being withheld for now to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Fox News Digital reached out to OPD to ask whether the officers remain on leave, for a response to criticism of the shooting and for any additional context surrounding the encounter.
