By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights Police Department has released body camera footage from an officer-involved shooting that occurred on April 21, 2025.
Shortly after 10:30 a.m. on April 21st, 2025, Citrus Heights police officers responded to reports of a male armed with a knife who was threatening bystanders in a busy shopping center off Lichen Drive in Citrus Heights.
The shopping center was busy with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic, according to the critical incident report shared on June 4. Officers arrived and located the subject, who was still armed with a knife. Authorities said when officers attempted to contact the subject, he ignored verbal commands and then ran toward one officer with a knife still in his hand.
The police officer fired his weapon, striking the subject. As per department policy, the officer’s name was not released during the officer-involved shooting investigation.
Body camera footage released Thursday by the department shows one officer approaching in a patrol vehicle, exiting the patrol vehicle, and engaging the suspect, who held a large knife in his hand. The officer held the suspect at gunpoint and commanded the subject to drop his weapon. Instead, the suspect ran toward the officer, who could be heard firing his weapon.
The officer’s arm partially blocked the suspect as shots were fired. Once the arm fell away from the camera, video footage shows the suspect seated on the ground and the knife lying several feet away. According to the report, the knife blade measured 7 inches.
Officers rushed in to start first aid just after the shooting, according to authorities. The suspect, later identified as 28-year-old John Angel Marmol Elias, was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Throughout the investigation, officers determined that Elias had also attempted to carjack a driver at knifepoint.
Elias was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, carjacking, brandishing a deadly weapon, and criminal threats.
No officers were hurt in the incident, police said. The body camera video released by Citrus Heights police can be seen here. Viewer discretion is advised.
