Concord police shoot, kill man who they believe seriously injured his elderly parents

CONCORD, Calif. -- A 60-year-old man was killed Sunday morning by Concord police officers who were answering a call from an elderly couple saying their son injured them, police said Sunday night.

The man, who was not identified, was shot by at least one of two officers who fired on him when he did not drop a knife and a "plastic gun" he was holding, police Cpl. David Petty said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon.

The victim's elderly parents had both been injured, Petty said, apparently by their son. Petty said investigators were still trying to determine exactly what happened before police arrived at the house, in the 900 block of Oasis Drive.

Police were called to the house about 11:45 a.m., with the elderly residents having told officers their son was "acting erratically," and possibly under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Petty said. Officers found the 60-year-old man in the front yard of the home, with the plastic gun and knife in his hands, Petty said.

The man's 90-year-old father then came out of the house, having suffered visible serious injuries, Petty said. The son had walked back into the house; police followed to find the son, with a knife in his hand and "straddling" his 85-year-old mother, who also had suffered serious injuries, Petty said.

Soon after that, two officers fired their service weapons at the 60-year-old son, who was struck at least once and died at the scene, Petty said.

Both parents were then taken to an area hospital, where Petty said both were being treated for "serious injuries."

Petty said Concord police had previously had contact with the son, but didn't elaborate on the nature of that contact.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office will join with the Concord Police Department to investigate the shooting, which Petty said is standard protocol.