What started as a routine patrol turned into a bizarre and dangerous situation Sunday evening when a deputy from the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office noticed a suspicious vehicle in the Honey Lake Rest Area.
Around 6:30 PM, the deputy noticed the car parked on the eastbound shoulder of Lakecrest Drive without license plates. Instead, scribbled numbers were found in the place where a license plate should have been.
The deputy approached the vehicle, concerned for the occupant’s well-being, and was met with an unexpected response. A male stepped out from the passenger side and immediately grew agitated when questioned about the missing license plates and registration. The situation escalated further when the male picked up a rock, threatening to throw it at the deputy. The confrontation took a more perilous turn when the man retrieved a sword from his vehicle and aggressively approached the deputy.
The deputy, valuing public safety, attempted to defuse the situation by retreating and repeatedly ordering the suspect to drop the weapon. The suspect’s aggression only intensified as he hurled rocks at the deputy, striking him multiple times. Ignoring the deputy’s commands, the suspect closed the gap between them with the sword still in hand.
As the standoff reached a critical point, the deputy resorted to deploying a taser in an effort to incapacitate the assailant. However, the Taser’s effect was minimal, and the suspect could pry off the prongs and continue toward the deputy with the sword outstretched.
Faced with the escalating threat, the deputy transitioned to his duty pistol, but mindful of the surrounding bystanders, he refrained from using lethal force but was able to deploy pepper spray striking the suspect. The man was able to grab the dispensed taser on the ground, jumped a barbed wire fence, and began running through fields toward Honey Lake in an attempt to escape.
Additional law enforcement began to arrive on the scene, including officers from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a CHP helicopter, and a K9 unit from the Susanville Police Department.
After a prolonged foot chase, law enforcement successfully subdued the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Keoni K. Kalanui-Manantan, a Hawaii resident with an extensive criminal record. Kalanui-Manantan now faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, assault on a peace officer with a less lethal object, and resisting a public officer.
The sheriff’s office thanked the California Highway Patrol and the Susanville Police Department for their swift and collaborative response.
