Benjamin Pritchard Fatally Shot by Los Angeles Police Outside Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas

Newly released body camera footage from the Los Angeles Police Department shows the moments leading up to a fatal shooting of a knife-wielding suspect outside the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas. The incident occurred on the evening of November 1, after officers received a call about a man armed with a machete on Avenue San Luis.

According to the police, the suspect had attacked someone with the machete outside a McDonald’s. The victim was able to disarm the suspect of the machete, but the suspect then pulled out a knife. In a distressing 911 call made that night, the victim can be heard urgently seeking help.

The armed suspect, later identified as Benjamin Pritchard, was quickly spotted by arriving officers in a nearby parking lot. He fled on foot, with officers pursuing him in their patrol vehicles, even driving through the McDonald’s drive-thru. Eventually, officers caught up to Pritchard as he approached the 101 freeway.

The body camera footage shows Pritchard lunging at the officers’ vehicle with a knife and then running away towards oncoming traffic. The officers warned him to drop the knife and alerted nearby drivers of the potential danger. Despite their efforts, Pritchard continued to run towards the Sagebrush Cantina.

Officers urged everyone inside the restaurant to lock the doors for safety. They chased Pritchard into a patio area outside the restaurant and deployed a Taser twice. However, Pritchard turned towards the officers with the knife, leading them to open fire.

Pritchard was struck by gunfire and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The victim of the machete attack did not sustain any serious injuries, and no officers were harmed during the incident.

Both the machete and the knife were recovered at the scene, and an ongoing investigation is underway. The release of the body camera footage aims to provide transparency and shed light on the events leading up to the fatal shooting.