Police said the 56-year-old man moved toward an officer with a large knife after family members sought help late Thursday.
ARLINGTON, TX — An Arlington police officer fatally shot a 56-year-old man late Thursday after police said he moved toward the officer with a large knife during a response to a call about a person making suicidal comments.
Officers were sent to a home in the 1700 block of West Lovers Lane at 10:44 p.m. Sept. 17 after a 911 caller reported that a man inside was making suicidal comments and had access to knives, according to the Arlington Police Department. The department said four officers responded. The man’s name had not been publicly released as of Friday, with police saying the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office would release his identity.
The 911 caller met officers at the front door and led them toward the room where the man was located, police said. As the officers approached, they heard yelling and learned that another family member was inside the room with him. Officers opened the door and got that family member out, according to the department.
Police said one officer then entered the room and the man became upset and pulled out a large knife. The officer repeatedly ordered the man to drop the knife, but police said he did not comply and began moving toward the officer while still holding it. The officer fired multiple times, striking the man, according to the department’s account.
Officers began providing first aid after the shooting and continued until paramedics arrived, police said. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. Police said none of the responding officers or other people inside the home were injured.
The department has not released additional details about how far the man was from the officer when shots were fired or identified the officer who fired. Police also have not publicly detailed what body-camera or other video evidence investigators have reviewed. The department’s initial public account came from police, and the shooting remains under investigation.
Arlington police have opened two separate reviews, which the department said are standard after an officer uses deadly force. The Homicide Unit is conducting a criminal investigation to determine whether any criminal offenses occurred, while the Internal Affairs Unit is reviewing whether officers followed department policies and procedures.
All four officers who responded to the home have been placed on administrative leave under department policy while the reviews continue. Authorities had not announced findings from either investigation as of Saturday, and the medical examiner had not been cited by police as having publicly released the dead man’s name.
Author note: Last updated September 19, 2026.