Police cleared after fatal shooting of stabbing suspect

A Santa Clara police officer who fatally shot a man attacking his roommate with a knife in September has been cleared of wrongdoing by the District Attorney's Office.

Officer's actions deemed lawful

The officer, a 12-year veteran of the department, responded to a call about a stabbing at a residence on Eisenhower Drive. Body camera footage showed the suspect, 32-year-old Nizamuddin Mohammed, on top of the victim, holding a kitchen knife to the victim's throat.

After ordering Mohammed to drop the knife twice, the officer shot him four times when he refused to comply. Mohammed was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The DA's report concluded that the officer acted lawfully during the incident, opening fire after Mohammed made a sudden movement towards the victim's throat after not complying with the officer's commands.

The report stated that