Man who smashes Redlands car window with machete is arrested – Redlands Daily Facts

A suicidal man who smashed car windows with a machete as he walked down a Redlands street was taken into custody Wednesday morning, Dec. 4, after police incapacitated him with shots from nonlethal weapons, officials said.

The man was wearing a tactical vest and appeared to have a paintball gun strapped to his chest, Redlands police said.

The 20-year-old Redlands resident’s motive was unclear, said Carl Baker, a Redlands police spokesman. But he made statements that suggested he wanted to kill himself, Baker said.

Police were initially alerted to a report of a couple arguing at a home in the 1400 block of Paiute Avenue around 8:30 a.m. The man had left before officers arrived but was found near the intersection of Lugonia Avenue and Judson Street.

Officers negotiated with the man, Baker said, but he did not surrender. They tried to incapacitate him with a stun gun and then with a rifle that fired a foam-tipped projectile, Baker said. He was arrested and treated for a minor injury.

The man was taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, Baker said.

No officers were reported injured.

Judson and Brown Elementary School was closed as a precaution. Baker said it did not appear that the man threatened people.

Originally published: December 4, 2024 at 4:40 pm PST