Police were called to the property on Depot Road and it was reported as a landlord-tenant dispute. When an officer arrived, a man in his 50s apparently pointed a knife at him. The officer used his 40-calibur service revolver to shoot and kill the man.
"There was a knife found immediately adjacent to the suspect, and the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard policy, and the investigation is on-going," Lt. Roger Keener from Hayward Police Department said.
The shooting occurred outdoors near some trailers behind the main house and the victim is believed to be the landlord. The gunfire woke up a tenant in another trailer, retired teamster Jess Green.
"There was no reason for it. It was unnecessary force in my opinion," he said.
Green has known the victim for over a year. ABC7 asked him how he thought the man would react to a police officer showing up.
"He'd probably be agitated; still there was no reason to kill him. He was just a little guy," he said.
Police commanders say the incident is under investigation. The officer was not hurt and his name is not being released. He has worked as an officer for four years in Hayward and for seven years before that for the Contra Costa Sheriff's Dept.
This is the second officer-involved shooting in Hayward this year. The previous incident in August was not fatal.
"It's a very significant incident for an officer to go through. It's obviously one that we never want to go through and unfortunately, it's a reality of this job," Keener said.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office will also be investigating to determine if any charges should be filed against the police officer.
