KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The alleged knife-wielding man who ran at Clay County deputies and was shot over the weekend faces charges in the incident.
Aaron M. Perez-Engel, 38, is charged with first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and armed criminal action.
The incident began around 2:20 p.m. Saturday when Kansas City, Missouri, police received a call about a man armed with a large knife in the shopping center near NE Englewood Road and North Oak Trafficway.
Witnesses said the man was smashing out windows with a machete, per court documents.
By the time officers arrived, the man had left the scene. A description of the man was broadcast to patrol officers, including the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Minutes later, a deputy in the area of NE 50th Street and North Oak Trafficway located Perez-Engel.
When the deputy attempted to contact Perez-Engel, he allegedly produced the knife from his waistband and began running on North Oak Trafficway.
The deputy then chased Perez-Engel on foot and called for backup.
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Perez-Engel ran into a wooded area and repeatedly refused verbal commands to drop the weapon. Soon after, he charged at deputies but stopped.
In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, additional resources, such as K-9s, were called in.
However, just after 2:30 p.m., Perez-Engel allegedly ran toward deputies with the machete for a second time.
"Fearing for their lives and safety," two deputies fired their weapons and struck Perez-Engel in the leg. Perez-Engel was taken to an area hospital, where he was treated and released that day.
No deputies were injured in the incident. The sheriff's office said the two deputies who shot at Perez-Engel were placed on paid leave, per the department's officer-involved shooting policy.
KCPD, the investigating agency, said a knife was recovered from the scene.
Perez-Engel is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on a $200,000 bond.
Prior to this incident, Perez-Engel, a convicted felon, had an active warrant out of Joplin. Due to his "lengthy criminal history" and "disregard for the courts and appearing for criminal court dates," detectives said he poses a danger to the community.
"Perez-Engel has a history of resisting arrest and assaulting members of the community, leading detectives to believe he will continue to do so," a court document stated.
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