Mancuso: Man tried to attack Calcasieu sheriff’s deputies with machete
Published 5:00 am Sunday, June 21, 2020
Rick Hickman
A Lake Charles man was killed Saturday morning in an officer-involved shooting after trying to attack Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies with a machete while recording it live on social media.
Louisiana State Police is taking over the investigation and later identified the man as 35-year-old Michael Torres.
Sheriff Tony Mancuso said he “100 percent fully supports the officers and their actions.”
“It’s unfortunate, but (the victim’s) actions dictated what our actions were,” he said.
Mancuso said the deputies were investigating a domestic violence claim that involved a child and were at the man’s home to serve a warrant when the shooting occurred.
“We were there to retrieve the child and get it to safety because we felt like it was a volatile situation,” Mancuso said. “We were able to do that but we were just not able at that point to convince him that he was under arrest and to answer the warrant.”
Mancuso said the officers initially fired a beanbag shotgun at the man, who then ran back into the house, retrieved a machete and ran back outside and at the deputies. The man also brought his phone and used Facebook Live to record the ordeal.
Rick Hickman
“We tried to de-escalate the whole situation after we took the child and got the child to safety,” Mancuso said. “This happened in a matter of seconds afterward and (the officers) had to make a decision and I support the decision they made. As bad as it is and as much as I wish it hadn’t happened, I support them. They did what they were trained to do.”
Mancuso said he has offered his condolences to the man’s mother, sister and stepbrother.
The Louisiana State Police will be taking over the investigation.
