Antioch Police Cleared in Fatal Shooting of Man with Knife

Contra Costa DA finds officers acted in self-defense during June 2025 incident.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office has cleared Antioch police officers in the fatal shooting of David Wali Bahrami, 26, who charged at them with a large kitchen knife on June 30, 2025. Authorities say the officers acted in reasonable self-defense after attempting to de-escalate the situation and using less-lethal force that had no effect on Bahrami, who had a history of mental illness.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in responding to mental health crises, as well as the importance of thorough, independent investigations into use-of-force incidents to maintain public trust in the police.

The details

According to the DA's office, Antioch police responded to multiple 911 calls from Bahrami on the morning of June 30, 2025, in which he said someone was trying to kill him. Officers tried to de-escalate the situation and get Bahrami to drop the knife, but he refused and began running towards them in a semicircular path before changing course and charging directly at the officers, who then shot him when he was 15-20 feet away.

  • On June 30, 2025, Antioch police responded to multiple 911 calls from David Wali Bahrami.
  • Bahrami refused to drop a large kitchen knife and charged at officers, who then shot him.

The players

David Wali Bahrami

A 26-year-old man with a history of mental illness who was fatally shot by Antioch police after charging at them with a knife.

Antioch Police Department

The law enforcement agency whose officers were involved in the fatal shooting of David Wali Bahrami.

Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office

The office that conducted an independent investigation and cleared the Antioch police officers of any wrongdoing in the shooting.

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What they’re saying

“Transparency and accountability are fundamental to maintaining public trust. When a fatal incident occurs, my office is committed to conducting a comprehensive, independent investigation and sharing our findings with the community in a detailed public report.”

— Diana Becton, Contra Costa County District Attorney (sfchronicle.com)

What’s next

The detailed public report from the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office on the investigation is available online for the public to review.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in responding to mental health crises and the importance of thorough, independent investigations into use-of-force incidents to maintain public trust in the police. The Contra Costa DA's office's commitment to transparency through a detailed public report is a positive step towards accountability.