Suspect, Fresno officer injured after alleged machete brandishing

A suspect and an officer were injured early Tuesday after police rushed to southwest Fresno on a report that a machete-waving man was threatening to kill a man at a lumber yard.

The 34-year-old suspect, Yanks Her, was put into an ambulance with facial bruises after a fight with multiple officers following a low-speed pursuit that ended at North Glenn and East Thomas avenues in central Fresno. An officer also went to a hospital with minor injuries.

Her faces charges of making criminal threats and assault on police officers, said Sgt. Jeff La Blue.

The incident began about 6:40 a.m. on South Elm Avenue, where an employee of the business called officers about a man outside waving the 18-inch machete. La Blue said Her was shouting that the manager at the business had killed his wife, and he was there to kill the manager.

As police arrived, Her drove away, La Blue said. Officers followed as he ran several stoplights before arriving on Glenn at a dead end, then attempted to enter a house. Her initially put up his hands to surrender, but then began fighting five officers. He was initially subdued with an electronic stun device, but continued fighting “very violently,” La Blue said.

The sergeant said police had not yet had an opportunity to find out whether Her’s wife was in fact deceased. The machete was recovered from Her’s car.

This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 9:53 AM.