According to police, on Christmas night the man was screaming and refused orders to drop the knife. Three officers moved away from the suspect and took cover behind their patrol cars.
VIDEO: Palo Alto police say suspect killed by officers called 911 to report false emergency
"And then all of a sudden with no warning, charged directly at our officers," said Lt. Zach Perron. "And it was only at that time when the suspect chose to force that confrontation that one of the officers deployed their Taser and the two other officers deployed their firearms."
Police say the man called 911 operators to report a phony crime in order to lure officers to the home that serves as a mental health treatment facility.
#PaloAltoOIS Update: Police say suspect called 9-11 with false emergency to summon officers to home. Charged at them w knife on arrival.
— ElissaABC7 (@ElissaABC7) December 27, 2015
Suspect with knife shot by police at this residential mental health treatment facility in #PaloAlto #mapit pic.twitter.com/Zsxy97pCBx
— ElissaABC7 (@ElissaABC7) December 26, 2015
A resident at #PaloAlto mental health treatment program says suspect was armed with butter knife. Shot by police. #abc7now
— ElissaABC7 (@ElissaABC7) December 26, 2015