Chased by Man With Knife, Officers Don't Shoot Due to 'Recent Incidents'

Two Milwaukee police officers considered "recent incidents locally and nationally" when they refrained from shooting a man who chased them with a butcher knife at the scene of a suspected double homicide, according to a criminal complaint, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel .

Alfonso Martinez, 26, was charged Thursday with two counts of recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident Monday at a house in which two men were found dead by officers called there about 1:30 p.m. Monday to check on the welfare of its residents, according to Milwaukee police.

According to the criminal complaint, the caller said that she had not seen the residents of the home for several days and that one of the residents, Martinez, "had mental health issues."

Two officers arrived on scene and encountered a shirtless Martinez holding a large butcher knife and threatening to kill them. Martinez began chasing the officers around parked vehicles as they yelled at him to drop the knife, and one of the officers even indicated that she was "beginning to wear out from the running," before Martinez finally dropped the knife and was arrested.

The officer later told investigators, "that this was the most frightening experience she has had as an officer," and "both officers indicated that they were thinking about the recent incidents locally and nationally at the time of this incident."

Milwaukee police Lt. Mark Stanmeyer said Thursday the medical examiner had not yet ruled the deaths homicides, but Martinez was considered a person of interest in the case.