Man Attacked Deputies With Knife at Cerritos Sheriff’s Station

Cerritos Sheriff’s Station and Community Safety Center, the struggle with the knife-wielding man ended up outside on the front steps.

BY BRIAN HEWS • October 16, 2020

Last Tuesday at around 5:35 p.m., 31-year-old Cerritos resident Eli Nicolas entered the Cerritos Sheriff’s station and calmly walked over to the sheriff’s side of the station to talk to the on-duty deputy who was behind the security counter.

According to witnesses, Nicolas made a few irrational comments and then angrily exited the station lobby, walking by another deputy entering the station who noticed Nicolas was upset.

Moments later, Nicolas entered the station lobby again armed with a large serrated knife and a pair of brass knuckles.

Brass knuckles are “fist-load weapons” used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal shaped to fit around the knuckles designed to concentrate a punch’s force by directing it toward a harder and smaller contact area.

Nicolas apparently wanted death by suicide as he was waving the knife and shouting, “just kill me!”

Nicolas kept yelling and became more animated when he struck the front counter windows several times with the brass knuckles.

The deputies sprang into action while those on the community safety side moved into the back rooms.

The deputies, including the on-duty watch commander, approached Nicolas and ordered him to drop the knife.

After deputies calmed the situation, Nicolas dropped the knife, but after a few seconds he attempted to retrieve the knife as the deputies approached.

The deputies then attempted to subdue Nicolas in the lobby but the struggle carried outside onto the steps of the entrance to the station.

During the struggle, Nicolas bit the watch commander on his leg causing an open wound. A second deputy received minor injuries.

Nicolas was detained without injury, arrested and booked at the station.

A sheriff’s spokesperson told HMG-CN, “The deputies exercised sound judgment and restraint. The suspect’s decision to walk into a Sheriff’s station lobby holding a large knife, acting aggressively, and ignoring the initial orders to drop his weapon could have easily lead to a tragic conclusion. The deputies placed themselves in harm’s way by rushing the suspect and tackling him to the ground instead of deploying their firearms. The actions of the deputies showed commendable restraint because the suspect could have retrieved the knife first or possibly produced a second knife.”