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LAPD Video Shows Fatal Police Shooting of Knife-Wielding Suspect

Officers found him outside with the knife still in hand, video from the officers’ body worn cameras shows. The officers issued commands to the suspect to drop the knife.

by Staff
February 25, 2025
LAPD Video Shows Fatal Police Shooting of Knife-Wielding Suspect

Screen grab from LAPD video shows officers responding to knife-wielding suspect outside residential treatment center.

Credit:

Screen Grab from LAPD Video

2 min to read


The Los Angeles Police Department has released a video showing a fatal officer-involved shooting of a man wielding a folding knife and advancing on officers.

LAPD said in a video that the suspect attacked and stabbed a staff member at a residential treatment facility. The injured man called 911 and told the call taker that the suspect was stabbing people.

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Police arrived on scene and learned that the suspect, identified by officials as 43-year-old Brian Rolstad, has left the building.

Officers found him outside with the knife still in hand, video from the officers’ body worn cameras shows. The officers issued commands to Rolstad to drop the knife.

Rolstad did not drop the knife, the video shows. Instead he advanced slowly toward officers.

An officer responded by shooting him multiple times with beanbag rounds. The sock-style impact rounds knocked Rolstad down but he did not comply with officers’ commands to drop the knife, the video shows.

Rolstad got up and again began advancing toward officers. More beanbags were fired, again knocking him to the ground. The video shows that he got back up and continued advancing toward the officers with the knife.

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One officer opened fire with a duty pistol and Rolstad was mortally wounded. He died at a local hospital despite police first aid and paramedic transport.

The victim of the stabbing was treated and released at a local hospital.

LAPD says the incident is under investigation.

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