Around 7 a.m., Manuel Gonzales Verdugo walked into a Rite Aid and stole several knives. He reportedly told employees to call the police and said he was going to kill an officer. When police arrived, they reportedly ordered Verdugo to drop the knife. Verdugo failed to comply and charged at officers with the knife in his hand, and he was shot and killed.
Victim's Name: Manuel Gonzales Verdugo
Agency Responsible: El Centro Police Department
Gender: Male
Age: 50
Race: Hispanic
Date of Death: December 29, 2019
County: Imperial
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Pending investigation/No Known Charges
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Unknown
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: knife
Threat Level: other
Fleeing: Not fleeing
Body Camera: No
Washington Post Database ID: 5318
Geography: Urban