SAN BERNARDINO, CA — An armed man was shot and killed by a San Bernardino police officer during a confrontation caught on video late Thursday night.
The shooting occurred in the 200 block of West Base Line Street outside King Tut Liquor.
Cell phone video shows the officer and the suspect wrestling on the ground before the officer stands, produces a gun and opens fire several times.
The incident began at around 11:15pm when an officer was dispatched to the liquor store on a report of a man who was jumping on vehicles in the parking lot, San Bernardino police said.
The officer gave the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Mark Matthew Bender Jr. — commands to surrender, which he ignored.
When the suspect tried to enter into the liquor store, with customers inside, the officer moved to restrain him, police said.
“The suspect was large in size and was able to physically overpower the officer,” San Bernardino police Sgt. John Echevarria told reporters Friday morning.
.“The suspect retrieved a weapon from his pocket and was turning to face the officer. At that time, an officer-involved shooting occurred.”
Bender was rushed to a hospital where he died, police said.
A loaded 9mm handgun was recovered at the scene. The gun was not registered, police said.
Bender had a criminal history going back 17 years, Echevarria said, with arrests for allegations of attempted murder, false imprisonment, domestic violence, theft and possession of narcotics.
Several people came out and protested in the hours immediately following the shooting.
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