Drop the on the ground. We don't want to see you on the ground. >> See, see, see, see. Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it. Hey, slow it down. Slow it down. >> On the morning of July 21st, 2024, Houston police officers responded to what initially appeared to be a violent assault call. Within minutes, the incident would escalate into a deadly confrontation captured on body camera footage. At approximately 11:24 a.m., officers with the Houston Police Department received reports of an ongoing disturbance at a gas station near South Derry Ashford and Westimer Road. According to dispatch information, a 27-year-old man was threatening people and had attempted to stab another individual with a knife. As the first patrol units arrived, the suspect fled on foot. Officers pursued him across Westimer Road and into Forest Park, Westimer Cemetery. >> He has a knife. >> Stay right here. >> Put it down. >> Drop it right now. Turn around. Walk back towards us. Come on, man. Be cool. Go. >> No, you're not. Just drop it. >> Okay. We're just trying to talk. Okay. >> No need nobody needs to get hurt. >> Have a conversation. That's it. But you got to drop the knife for us, bro. >> Hey, man. Whatever you got going on, we're just talking it out. All right. >> We don't want to hurt you, boss. We >> don't want to hurt you, man. >> We're not going to kill you, bro. Drop them. Hey, >> nice and slow. Nice and easy. Y >> Hey, man. Be cool. All right. We're not looking to hurt you. >> Sorry. >> We're not looking to do anything like that. All right. >> I told you going to kill me. Cannot say that. >> We don't want to kill you, dude. >> Can I say y'all going to kill me? We're not looking at >> Hey, I'm going grab taser. Don't do it. >> The terrifying chain of events began just a few intersections away near the 12,600 block of Richmond Avenue and Derry Ashford Road. According to authorities, the suspect initially targeted random pedestrians near a gas station, threatening several people and even charging at some of them with a knife. Multiple emergency calls quickly flooded dispatchers, prompting officers from the Houston Police Department to respond. When the first patrol units arrived, officers attempted to take the man into custody. However, the suspect refused to comply with commands. At one point, he briefly dropped the knife, raising hopes that the situation might end peacefully. But those hopes vanished when he immediately picked the weapon back up and fled on foot westbound along Westimer Road. Determined to evade capture, the suspect suddenly turned north and ran directly into Forest Park Cemetery, located in the 12,800 block of Westimer Road. Officers pursued him into the cemetery where the wide open pathways and grassy grounds offered little cover. Moments later, the responding officers caught up with the armed suspect and surrounded him among the rows of headstones. >> Don't go towards him. >> Watch the cross. Do >> not go towards you, bro. >> Do not go. Just drop the knife, brother. >> I know what it was. I told you I was going to talk. >> Wasn't right. >> Wasn't I right? >> Cool, man. We just got to talk. That's it. >> No, you don't want to talk. You want to arrest me over that, man? >> No, we don't. Put the knife down and we can talk. I promise you we just talk. >> Hey, look. We put the knife down. We put the guns down and we just have a conversation. All right. Hey, >> I'm coming over. >> Hey, look. Hey, we stop walking forward. Just come talk to us. >> No. Hey, just do me a favor. Drop the knife. You >> have the right to lie, right? >> I'm not lying to you, bro. You put the knife down. We'll have a cordial, civilized, normal conversation, bro. To bro. All right. We'll just have a conversation. We'll talk about what you got going on. We'll help you fix your problems. All right. >> How about we go to How about we go to that man and see where it all start? >> We can do that. >> All right. We can do that. >> That's okay with me, bro. We can do that. But you got to drop that knife for us. >> We don't want to hurt you, bro. >> You don't want to hurt us, right? just be cool, man. >> Don't do it. >> Hey, don't do it. >> Don't do it, man. >> We're trying to help you. >> The knife up to his left below him right now. >> Come on, man. >> He's coming. He's coming. >> Hey, I'm going to go non-lethal. >> Yeah, that's fine. >> Come on. No. No. Don't rush us. Don't rush us with that knife, man. >> Come back a little bit. >> Right here. Right here is good. We're good. >> Let us help you. >> That's how I know you're not trying to help. >> Everybody, >> we are trying to help, man. Swing right a little bit. So, so the minivan's out of place. >> Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't do that, man. >> Don't do that, man. >> Hey, man. We have to protect ourselves. Okay. >> As officers confronted the suspect inside the cemetery, it quickly became clear that he had no intention of surrendering. Throughout the standoff, the man repeatedly screamed at officers to shoot him while deliberately advancing toward them. Witnesses and investigators later noted that his behavior closely matched what criminologists and behavioral experts refer to as suicide by cop, a desperate act in which a person intentionally provokes law enforcement into using deadly force because they are unable or unwilling to take their own life. But this violent mindset had begun long before police arrived. According to multiple 911 callers, the suspect had already been chasing random people near a gas station and attempting to stab them without warning. By the time officers located him, he was already in a state of extreme agitation and uncontrollable rage. Despite the danger, officers initially attempted to deescalate the situation. They backed away and repeatedly issued verbal commands, urging the suspect to drop the knife and surrender peacefully. However, the suspect ignored every command. Instead of complying, he chose to continue his aggression, charging toward officers not once, but twice while still armed with the blade. His actions demonstrated a complete refusal of any peaceful resolution and ultimately left officers facing a rapidly escalating and life-threatening situation. >> Okay, we'll tell we'll talk to him, too. Hey, >> go right. Yeah, moving right. >> Go right. There you go. >> Y arrest me for this. >> We're not. We're not. >> We just want to talk to you, bro. >> We're not. >> Hey, man. >> All right, babe. Put it away. >> Just put it in the ground. Put it in the ground. Can you throw it away for us, please? >> Just throw it away. Throw it away. Just throw it away. >> Still have that knife. >> Hispanic male short, black hair, long hair, blue shirt, gray shorts. >> Hey, we just need you to drop the knife in the northwest corner of Derry Ashford and throw it away for us, dog. We just want to help you. >> We'll talk to you when you drop the knife. >> Come on, man. Be cool. >> Be cool. >> Hey, drop the knife. >> Drop it, bro. >> Drop it, bro. >> Shoot me in the [ __ ] head. >> Drop it, bro. >> We don't want to do that, man. >> No. >> Just drop the knife, man. >> Watch the civilian. Civilian. >> Relax. >> Hey, get in the van and go. >> Hey, get left. >> I'm sorry. No, just >> all RIGHT THEN. >> NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. STOP. NO. >> GET OUT OF THE WAY. >> NO. HANG ON. WE'RE GOOD. >> HEY, you got one person behind us. Still >> shoot. Hey, just chill. We're going away. >> Don't do it. >> We're not looking to do that, bro. Just come talk to us. >> Hey, get there's a family. >> Hey, we have to push up. We have to push up. They got a family back there. >> Hey, twin wide left. Hey, DON'T LET HIM HEY, GET OUT THE WAY. >> GET OUT THE WAY. GET OUT THE WAY. MOVE. >> GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO. >> GO, GO, GO, GO, GO. Surrounded among the gravestones, officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the knife. knife. Body camera footage shows multiple attempts to deescalate the situation with officers issuing clear commands and urging the suspect to surrender peacefully. However, the suspect refused to comply. Instead, he began shouting at officers, repeatedly telling them to shoot me. Investigators later stated that the man charged at officers twice while brandishing the knife, creating what police described as an immediate and deadly threat. After repeated commands failed and faced with the advancing suspect, three officers fired their weapons in an effort. >> Drop the knife. >> WE DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU ON THE GROUND. >> WE DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU ON the ground. >> See, SEE, SEE, SEE, SEE, >> hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it. Hey, slow it down. Slow it down. >> Still in the plane. We're still doing verbal command. >> Hey, I got lethal. You guys check this out. >> Medical aid. Medical aid. >> Hey, get gloves. Get gloves. I got the knife. >> All right, get arm out on you. >> Hey, do me a favor. Listen, listen. Listen quick. Hey, >> I'm putting the knife in your shop. Hey, he's still got multiple guns on every >> If you enjoyed this video, be sure to subscribe, like, and comment for more real life police incidents and body cam footage. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next