LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police safely took a Lakeport man into custody on Friday after he wielded a knife at a police sergeant during a domestic violence call, with the man later stating that he had wanted to kill the police officers who came to his home.

Lizardo Elias Velasquez, 50, was arrested Friday afternoon on a felony charge of making terrorist threats, and misdemeanors including domestic violence, exhibiting a deadly weapon, resisting a peace officer, assault on a peace officer and an outstanding warrant, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

At 4:20 p.m. Friday two Lakeport Police Officers and a sergeant were dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of Martin Street to investigate the report of a male subject threatening to stab his 61-year-old female cohabitant, Rasmussen said.

Upon arrival, the two officers attempted to contact the residents at the front door but the male subject – later identified as Velasquez – refused to open the door and stated that if officers did not leave he would “blow them up,” Rasmussen reported.

Rasmussen said the sergeant went to the back door of the residence where the female victim opened it, stepped out on the porch and stated that she was afraid the man was going to stab her. 

The sergeant ordered the female to a safe location and then approached the porch, at which point Velasquez – who was not yet armed with a weapon – came to the open back door, saw the sergeant and then ran back inside, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said the sergeant pursued Velasquez into the house, drew his department-issued Taser and tactically approached the kitchen area where he saw Velasquez go and then saw him pick up a knife.

The sergeant immediately ordered Velasquez to drop the knife and alerted the other officers. Rasmussen said the sergeant told Velasquez that if he approached with the knife he would be shot. 

Velasquez then stepped toward the sergeant with the knife in his hand and the sergeant, who Rasmussen said already had the Taser deployed, immediately fired it, striking Velasquez in the abdomen with both darts, causing him drop the knife and fall to the floor. 

Rasmussen said the sergeant continued the Taser deployment while the two officers handcuffed Velasquez and took him into custody. 

Per standard procedure, Rasmussen said Velasquez was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for medical clearance due to the Taser deployment before he was transported to the Lake County Jail for booking. 

During transport to the jail, Velasquez told the sergeant that if he had possessed a gun he would have shot him and that he wanted to kill the police who arrived, Rasmussen said.

Velasquez remained in custody on Monday, with bail set at $15,000.

“The department is thankful that our sergeant and officers were not injured and commends them for their use of good tactics in this situation which could have turned deadly,” Rasmussen said.