Napa police officers fatally shoot man outside Home Depot

A knife wielding homeless man who was reportedly “attacking” shoppers outside a Napa Home Depot store was shot and killed by police officers when he refused orders to get on the ground and turned toward them, police said Tuesday.

Noel Aaron Russell, 23, was shot Monday night by officers responding to reports of a man with a knife acting “high” and “crazy,” police Capt. Jennifer Gonzales said.

The two officers, whose names were not released, were placed on administrative leave.

Napa Capt. Jennifer Gonzales said officers carry Glock or Sig Sauer handguns, but didn’t know which was used Monday night, nor specifics of what led the officers to open fire.

The incident started about 6:21 p.m., when Napa police started receiving 911 calls about a man walking around near the front of the Home Depot in the South Napa Marketplace on Kansas Avenue, Gonzales said.

Napa officers arrived on scene, contacted Russell and ordered him to get down. When he didn’t and instead “turned his aggression toward the officers,” they fired, the captain said.

The incident is being investigated by the Napa County Sheriff’s Department.

This is the first fatal shooting by Napa officers since March 13, 2015, according to the Napa Valley Register, when James Richard, 41, was shot by officers serving a search warrant.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.