A knife-wielding man was shot outside of a Costco in Modesto, California on Thursday [July 28], after pacing the store with the weapon, then refusing to comply with the orders of an off-duty officer. Gary Harlan Scott, 61, is said to have just been discharged from a mental health facility, when at around 5 pm, Modesto police were dispatched to Pelandale Avenue, near Sisk Road, where Scott appeared to be provoking an encounter. The plain-clothed cop bore significant period of restraint before firing off, putting Scott in critical condition.

There were reported to have been approximately 300 people present when the aisles cleared and customers flooded out of the store at the sight of the armed man. He wandered without aggression for most of the of the while but drew urgent concern when he began to approach employees, poking his knife forward at them. Upon making egress from the store, Scott was met by the officer, who works for the California Department of Corrections, and is seen backing up while attempting to talk him out of approaching any further, on a recording taken of the confrontation.

On Friday Scott's sister, Suzanne Perez told the press that only hours before the incident she had gone to pick him up from the local Doctors Behavioral Health Center, where he has spent much of July on suicide watch. According to Perez, Scott informed her that he wanted to take his life, and when she attempted to address the issue, he refused her ride and went his separate way.

Source: youtube.com