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The fatal police shooting of a Concord man in February was justified, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office has concluded.
In a report released Friday, prosecutors said the officers acted in lawful self-defense or defense-of-others and that their use of force was reasonable.
The District Attorney’s Office routinely reviews fatal incidents involving law enforcement in Contra Costa County to determine if officers or civilians were criminally liable.
Concord police received a 911 call on Feb. 18 from the mother of Nathan Keesler reporting that her 47-year-old son was stabbing his father with a knife.
She said Keesler had a significant history of mental illness. Prosecutors gave this account of what happened next:
Officers arrived at the residence minutes after the 911 call. Upon entry, officers saw Keesler on his knees, raising a knife, with his father pinned to the floor beneath him.
“Drop the knife,” officers called out, but Keesler continued to thrust the knife toward his father.
One officer, who had the clearest line of sight, fired multiple times. Keesler slumped to the ground while maintaining control of the knife in his hand.
When an officer attempted to kick the knife away, Keesler tried to stab him in the leg, prosecutors said. He and other officers fired at Keesler, who fell to the floor.
As an officer walked toward Keesler’s father, Keesler pushed himself up and grabbed the kitchen knife next to him.
Officers yelled at Keesler to drop the knife, but he kept the knife in his hand and began to shift his legs, as if to get up. Multiple officers fired at Keesler, who fell back to the floor.
Keesler was pronounced dead at the scene. His father suffered multiple cuts to his head and left bicep. He was also shot in the right side of his posterior when the officers opened fire on Keesler.
The District Attorney’s Office notified the Keesler family about the publication of the report. A copy was sent to the Concord Police Department, state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office and is available on the District Attorney’s website.
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