YUCAIPA, Calif. – A California man who was armed with a handgun on his person and explosives in his vehicle placed a police officer in a headlock during a traffic detention before being shot in the face by a second officer, authorities said.
Alan Metka, 56, violently fought with police prior to being shot. He survived his gunshot wounds and now faces several charges in San Bernardino County, KTLA reported.
On Feb. 9, Fontana officers were assisting other law enforcement agencies when Metka was detained during a traffic stop at Yucaipa Blvd. and 14th Street. The Fontana Police Department said the reason for the stop involved a couple of equipment violations.
Metka initially appeared polite and cooperative as he answered one of the officer’s questions, even acknowledging a prior arrest, according to bodycam footage released by Fontana Police on Monday.
“What were you arrested for?” a male officer is heard asking.
“Explosives in public,” Metka replied.
The driver complied when the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle and over to the curb while they conducted a records check.
A second officer was conducting a cursory pat down of Metka when the situation quickly escalated.
“What’s this right here?” the female officer is heard asking him.
“My gun,” Metka replied as he then proceeded to place her in a headlock.
She immediately hollered to her partner, “He’s got a gun,” as she fought with the combatant.
Fontana Police Chief Michael Dorsey emphasized during a Monday press conference how quickly an encounter can turned deadly, according to KTLA.
“This was everything but a normal traffic stop with a very cooperative individual and in one second it turned into a deadly fight for the officer’s life,” the chief noted. “The female officer continued to fight back to keep his hand in his pocket, so his gun wasn’t withdrawn.”
Bodycam footage of the violent encounter showed her partner responded with a single gunshot contact wound, striking Metka in the jaw.
“We surmised that the gunshot could not be heard [in the video] because it was a very close contact wound,” Dorsey said.
In addition to the handgun recovered from Metka’s person, police searched his vehicle and discovered an unspecified explosive device.
Metka survived his injuries and was subsequently charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, assault with a semiautomatic firearm on a peace officer, and possession of a destructive device.
Once he was medically cleared, he was booked at the West Valley Detention Center where he continues to receive treatment for his injuries. His bail was set at $160,000 and he is next scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
He has a maximum prison exposure of up to 12 years if convicted on all charges.
In August 2021, Metka was arrested after he was found with enough explosives that police shutdown Sierra Avenue and Valley Boulevard in Fontana.
“He was actually convicted of felony possession of an explosive device in public and received two years in county prison,” San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said at the news conference.
