Investigators have ruled that the fatal shooting by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies of a man wielding knives was justified.
On October 25, 2025, Abdourahman Nyan attacked a man and his dog outside of a Goleta Valley supermarket, stabbing him multiple times. The man ran inside the store, and Nyan barricaded himself inside one of the store’s bathrooms.
Police evacuated the store and tried to get Nyan to surrender. They say he charged out of the bathroom, using a trash can lid as a shield and holding a knife in each hand.
Two officers opened fire, shooting Nyan a total of six times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office concluded the officers faced a reasonable concern that they, or someone else, might be hurt, and that the shooting was justified.
The man attacked by Nyan has recovered from his injuries.
