Sunnyvale liquor store robbery suspect killed in officer-involved shooting

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (KGO) -- A tense situation at a strip mall in Sunnyvale on Wednesday as a man with a knife tried to rob a liquor store in the 1100 block of Tasman Drive.

Police got the call of an armed robbery just after 11 a.m.

Dispatcher: "He had no money on him, he took cigarettes. When the clerk denied him, he flashed a knife."

Initial reports from dispatch describe the frantic moments that led up to shooting.

Officer: "He's got the knife, he's got the knife. I'm on the east end of the store, he is not complying. Take your hand out of your pocket!"

A deadly confrontation ensued between the suspect and the police officer in an alleyway behind the liquor store.

Officer: "Shots fired. Suspect is down."

Dispatcher: "Copy. Shots fired. Suspect is down."

"We're still investigating exactly what went down in the alleyway, but again, the suspect was armed with a knife, officer contacted the suspect, the shooting occurred, and a knife was located at the scene," said Deputy Chief Dave Pitts with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.

Sunnyvale public safety officials tell us a white man in his 20s was shot by the responding officer, taken to a local hospital and declared dead.

Neighboring business owners were stunned by what happened.

"You never know what's going to happen when you get up in the morning," said Steven Gauthier of Steven's Philly Cheesesteaks.

Steven Gauthier has operated Steven's Philly Cheesesteaks since 1989. In nearly 25 years at Tasman Square, he can't recall such a chaotic scene.

"You never know what's going to happen when you get up in the morning.

We've had our tips snatched, once or twice, but just petty things, nothing near like this," said Gauthier.

Customers say the area is typically safe.

"I thought it was firecrackers, or something, like people were playing around or something," said Kenneth Cordova.

The police officer, who was alone when the shooting took place has been placed on routine, paid administrative leave.