A man wielding a knife was shot by police in the Canary Islands after a family row. Officers were called to the domestic dispute in Vega de San Mateo, Gran Canaria, on Sunday (April 20). When they arrived police were faced with the man who was brandishing a knife and refused to comply with orders to put the blade down. The man refused to drop the knife and surrender despite repeated warnings from police, who he continued to threaten, according to the Canarian Weekly.
Video shows two policemen ordering the man to “drop the knife” and “lie down on the ground” in comments translated from Spanish by the Express. The man can be heard saying, “I’m not going to hurt you,” while drawing closer to the officers armed with the blade.
An officer later fired a single shot into the man’s leg, sending him to the ground. The same publication reports that the man’s injury wasn’t fatal.
He was treated at the scene before being taken under police guard to hospital, where his condition was said to be stable, according to local media.
The incident has reportedly rocked the usually quiet town and prompted debate on the use of firearms by police during domestic disputes.
An investigation has been launched, but the authorities insist the decision to shoot the man was motivated by a need to protect lives.
Officials say the officers were following strict protocols by shooting a part of the body which was “non-vital”.