Police shoot, critically injure man outside San Pablo home

SAN PABLO – An officer shot and seriously injured a 44-year-old man Friday afternoon in San Pablo, according to police.

Andre Smith was wounded outside a residence in the 2600 block of Dover Avenue, the San Pablo Police Department said. He remained hospitalized in critical condition by Saturday afternoon.

Officers were initially called to the home around 1:40 p.m. to assist with a mental health evaluation, according to police. A woman told a 911 dispatcher her husband was showing signs of schizophrenia.

When officers arrived at the residence, Smith locked himself inside a room and refused to talk to them, police said. He did not live at the home, but he was not acting violent at the time and his wife agreed to call police if he exited and needed help.

Smith’s wife called 911 around 2:50 p.m. and asked officers to return to the residence because he was harassing her, according to police. He was outside now and she did not want him to return.

The dispatcher overheard Smith in the background say he would “kill police officers and make them kill him,” police said.

Officers arrived to find Smith in the front yard. Police said he did not listen to their orders and concealed himself in the side yard. At one point, he reportedly threw pieces of brick at the officers.

In an effort to subdue Smith, officers fired Tasers and bean bag rounds at him, but they were not effective. He then grabbed a folding chair, which he used as a shield, and charged at officers with a three-foot-long metal pole, according to police.

Smith swung the pole at an officer, who ducked to avoid being hit, police said. Another officer fired one round from his service weapon, hitting Smith in the upper right leg.

Smith was then arrested and taken to a hospital.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is leading the investigation into the shooting, according to police. The officers involved in the incident will be placed on paid administrative leave per county policy.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department’s investigations division at 510-215-3150.