A man was fatally shot by two officers after apparently randomly charging at them with a large kitchen knife in Anaheim on Monday, according to the Police Department.

Two officers fatally shot a man who charged them with a knife in Anaheim on June 8, 2015, authorities said. (Credit: KTLA)

The incident began when a motorcycle officer was conducting a traffic stop of another driver in the 300 block of West La Palma Avenue about 2:40 p.m., authorities said.

During the stop, a man who was not involved pulled over in his black pickup truck, got out and approached the officer, holding a knife, Anaheim police Lt. Eric Trapp said.

As the first officer started to retreat, a second officer in a patrol car arrived and tried to help, but the knife-wielding man went after that officer too, Trapp said.

This image of a white-handled knife was distributed by the Anaheim Police Department on June 8, 2015.

Both officers opened fire on the man, according to a post on the Anaheim Police Department’s Facebook page.

Paramedics transported the man to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Neither officer was injured.

The white-handled knife lay in the street at the scene of the shooting, video from the scene showed.

Police said there did not appear to be any relationship between the driver who was pulled over and the knife-wielding man who was killed.

Homicide detectives were combing for clues in Anaheim after a man was found dead Tuesday night on a residential street, police said.

Police were investigating the death of a man who found lying in an Anaheim residential street on June 16, 2015. (Credit: OnScene TV)

Officers responded to the 1900 block of West Embassy Avenue upon receiving a call regarding a man found lying in the middle of the roadway, according to Lt. Eric Trapp of the Anaheim Police Department.

The unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene.

It was not immediately clear how the man had died, Trapp told reporters at an early morning news conference at the crime scene. Anaheim police detectives and traffic investigators were still searching for evidence in the area as they pieced together what led to the man’s death, he said.

Trapp initially stated it was possible the man was killed in a hit-and-run.

“When you find a body laying in the street, we’re going to leave all possibilities open,” he said. “So whether it was a traffic collision, or hit-and-run, or homicide, we’re going to leave all those options open. “

He later said the crime was being investigated as a homicide, and that the man had possibly been dragged along the street by a vehicle.

According to Trapp, a “vehicle of interest” was found in the 200 block of South Agate Street, which is located several blocks from where the man’s body was discovered.

He described the neighborhood where the incident occurred as being “very quiet,” adding “something where this would be out of the ordinary to happen here.”

Police were hoping witnesses would step forward and provide information to investigators about the man’s death. Anyone with information has been asked to call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-847-6227.

Anaheim police were looking for a 24-year-old man after officers found his girlfriend and baby son with serious injuries that left them dead Monday.

Kwame Carpenter is shown in a photo provided by Anaheim police on June 22, 2015.

A 911 call brought officers to a report of a felony assault in progress in the 2600 block of West Ball Road about noon, according to Lt. Eric Trapp of the Anaheim Police Department.

The door of an apartment was open, and a woman and baby were found to have serious injuries, Trapp said.

After paramedics responded, the woman was pronounced dead on the scene, and the infant was transported to a local trauma center, Trapp said.

The child, a baby boy, was later confirmed dead, Trapp said.

The lieutenant would not say what kind of injuries the victims had.

The 2001 Lincoln Town Car shown was being sought in connection with the deaths of a woman and baby in Anaheim. Police provided these images on June 22, 2015.

The person of interest, identified by police as Kwame Carpenter, was described only as a 24-year-old black man. Police initially gave his first name as Kwane and Kwame but later said it was the latter.

He is the boyfriend of the older victim and the father of the baby, police said.

He may have fled in a 2001 black Lincoln Town Car with California license plate No. 19990N1.

Police do not know Carpenter’s involvement, Trapp said, but investigators believe he was in the home at the time of the incident that led to the deaths.

Anyone who sees Carpenter should call 911, Trapp said.

Video from the scene showed a baby’s sleep rocker chair behind red crime scene tape in front of an apartment. Nearby, a woman lay on the ground crying to officers, “just kill me.”

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A woman was seen lying on the grass, crying, outside an apartment where a baby and woman were fatally attacked on June 22, 2015. (Credit: OnScene.TV)

A 24-year-old man who was identified as a person of interest in the stabbing deaths of his girlfriend and infant son in Anaheim was booked Tuesday on suspicion of murder after being arrested in Fountain Valley, police said.

Kwame Carpenter is shown in a booking photo released by Anaheim police on June 23, 2015.

Officers with the Fountain Valley and Santa Ana police departments initially located Kwame Carpenter inside his parked 2001 Lincoln Town Car on the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital campus at around 3:30 a.m.

When officers attempted to take him into custody, he allegedly refused to surrender and drove into a Santa Ana police patrol car, damaging the vehicle, according to a news release from the Fountain Valley Police Department. He also allegedly drove into another vehicle before fleeing the parking lot.

A Fountain Valley police officer fired two rounds at the Lincoln as it fled, the release stated. No one was hurt by the gunfire.

Officers pursued Carpenter, who abandoned the vehicle after colliding with another vehicle. He then ran into Mile Square Park and jumped into a pond in the park’s northeast corner, police officials said in the release. A K-9 was deployed into the pond and bit the wanted man, according to the release.

Police detained a man on June 23, 2015, in Fountain Valley in connection with two deaths the previous day. (Credit: OnScene TV)

“Eventually Carpenter was taken into physical custody by officers. Carpenter suffered unknown injuries as a result of the arrest by the police dog, and was turned over to Anaheim police officers,” the release stated.

Carpenter was booked on suspicion of homicide Tuesday evening, according to police.  He was being held without bail at the Anaheim Police Department Temporary Detention Facility.

Authorities had been looking for Carpenter since Monday afternoon, when they discovered his girlfriend and baby son had died after sustaining serious injuries in the 2600 block of West Ball Road, Lt. Trapp said at the time.

According to Trapp, officers went to the apartment after receiving a report of a felony assault in progress and found the woman and baby boy inside.

Moureen Gathua-Carpenter was killed June 22, 2015. (Credit: DMV)

They were identified by the Orange County coroner’s officer on Tuesday as Moureen Gathua-Carpenter, 24, and Kyan Gathua-Carpenter, 6 months.

The woman died at the scene, according to Trapp. The infant was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center, where he was later confirmed dead.

Both victims suffered multiple stab wounds, police revealed on Tuesday.

Carpenter was believed to be in the residence at the time of the incident, but police did not know his involvement, Trapp said at the time.

Fountain Valley police were investigating Carpenter’s actions at the hospital, and were assessing whether any criminal charges would be filed against him.

The two deaths in Anaheim remained under investigation.

KTLA’s Alberto Mendez and Melissa Pamer contributed to this story.

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Two violent confrontations with taggers occurring a week apart in the Anaheim area have left three men hospitalized, and one of them dead, authorities said Monday.

In the first incident, one of two men shot on July 19 died after confronting a group of men about 10 p.m. near Poona Drive and Lullaby Lane, in an unincorporated area west of Anaheim, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

David Douglas, 51, died at UC Irvine Medical Center about six hours after the confrontation.

David Bruce Douglas, 51, died July 20, 2015, after being shot in an unincorporated area outside Anaheim.

Douglas and another man who lives in the neighborhood were shot at inside a Ford SUV when they confronted the group of young men, who were spray painting on the street, the Orange County Register reported. One of the young men, described as a Hispanic man in his late teens or early 20s, pulled out a handgun and fired on the two victims and then fled, the Sheriff’s Department said.

The taggers were believed to be gang members, sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said Monday.

Douglas was a Boy Scouts troop leader and volunteer in his Mormon congregation in Anaheim, the Register reported. The man he was with was also hospitalized.

In connection with Douglas’ killing, a 32-year-old man was arrested near his home in Chino on July 21, but he was ordered released two days later when the Orange County District Attorney’s Office decided not the file charges against him following additional investigation.

Anaheim police respond to a confrontation with taggers that left a man stabbed on July 26, 2015. (Credit: OnScene.TV)

In the second, more recent incident, a man was beaten and stabbed Sunday night when he confronted a group of four or five taggers outside a vacant house near Lincoln Avenue and Stinson Street.

Four or five taggers were spray-painting the home when the victim confronted them, Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt. They attacked him, stabbing him once in the back.

Police believe four Latino males and one white male were in the group of taggers, and they fled in a blue Nissan Versa.

The victim was hospitalized and his condition was not known.

“At this point, there is no known connection between the incident that happened in unincorporated Anaheim last week,” Wyatt said. “Our investigators will most definitely be in connection with the sheriff’s investigators if there is any indication that they are linked.”

The taggers in Sunday night’s confrontation were also thought to be gang members, Wyatt said.

The two incidents occurred about 2 miles apart.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the victim in the July 26 attack was stabbed multiple times. In fact, he was stabbed only one. The article has been updated.

A man with a loaded pistol was arrested outside the main entrance to Disneyland last month after another park visitor reported seeing something suspicious, Anaheim police revealed Tuesday.

Just before 9 p.m. on July 9, officers assigned to the resort property received a radio call from Disneyland security regarding a report of a man with a gun, according to police spokesman Eric Trapp.

Plain clothes detectives went to investigate and located a man with a handgun in the esplanade area of the resort, Trapp said. The esplanade is the open area that divides the entrances to Disneyland and California Adventure once patrons pass through security.

The man was identified as 44-year-old Percival Aguilar Agoncillo of San Francisco.

Agoncillo was never inside either park, Trapp said.

In the course of the investigation, it was determined that Agoncillo was on probation for a similar offense in San Mateo County, according to Trapp.

Agoncillo was booked and released on $20,000 bail.

He was due back in court for his arraignment on Aug. 27.

A felon who was arrested for allegedly carrying a loaded firearm outside Disneyland was charged with three felony criminal counts, court documents released to KTLA Wednesday showed.

Percival Aguilar Agoncillo Jr. is shown in a booking photo provided by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

Percival Aguilar Agoncillo Jr., 44, was charged July 13 with being a felon carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.

The charges were filed in connection with a July 9 incident that occurred in the esplanade area between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. The area is beyond a security check, according to Lt. Eric Trapp with the Anaheim Police Department.

Police were called to the area just before 9 p.m. by Disneyland security, which reported a man with a handgun, Trapp said Tuesday.

Disney security noticed a “bulge” on the man’s chest and alerted authorities, police said. Trapp initially said park guests noticed the man and reported him, but Anaheim police later clarified that, in fact, Disney security personnel had spotted Agoncillo.

Plainclothes detectives found the man, who had a loaded pistol on him, Trapp said. He was arrested, later posted $20,000 bail and released, Trapp said.

A blog that focuses on Disney news first reported the man’s arrest last week, suggesting the gunman could have perpetrated a mass murder. Agoncillo told police he planned to kill as many people as he could, the blog reported.

People wait in line to buy tickets for entry to Disneyland on Jan. 22, 2015 in Anaheim. (Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)

But Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt on Wednesday said he was not aware of such plans, cautioning he could not go into detail about the case.

“We’re not aware of there being any plan to endanger or harm anyone at this point,” Wyatt said. “Obviously there are … certain things … we can’t reveal because there is a criminal prosecution that’s underway.”

Investigators discovered that Agoncillo had a similar previous offense in San Mateo County, Trapp said.

Agoncillo was convicted in San Mateo County Superior Court in January 2013 for possession of an illegal drug while armed with a loaded gun, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s complaint against him.

He was arrested July 13 on suspicion of drug charges by the South San Francisco Police Department, according to a spokesman for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Agoncillo was in custody in the county jail there, the spokesman said.

He was due for arraignment in Orange County on Aug. 27, court records showed.

KTLA’s Steve Bien contributed to this report.

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One person was arrested after a homeless man, described as local fixture “the Birdman” by witnesses, was stabbed multiple times across the street from Disneyland late Sunday, according to the Anaheim Police Department.

A parrot apparently owned by a stabbing victim is taken into custody near Disneyland on Aug. 23, 2015. (Credit: OnScene.TV)

The stabbing occurred at a bus stop in the 1500 block of Harbor Boulevard — which borders the popular theme park — around 10 p.m., Anaheim police Lt. Eric Trapp said.

Officers initially responded to the scene after receiving a report of two transients fighting, according to Trapp. When they arrived, witnesses directed the officers to the victim and the alleged assailant.

The victim was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition, and the attacker was arrested, Trapp said. The suspect’s name was not released.

Video from the scene showed first responders treating the victim, whose blood was spilled onto the sidewalk.

An officer discusses a stabbing near Disneyland with a possible witness on Aug. 23, 2015. (Credit: OnScene.TV)

A witness described helping the victim after seeing the fight from a hotel-room balcony and running downstairs. Wade Abbas, visiting Disneyland from Oregon with his family, said he told the man to remain calm and not talk.

“He was worried about his bird. They know him as the Birdman around here, I guess,” Abbas said.

The manager and multiple workers at the nearby IHOP also said the victim is known as “the Birdman.” His real name is Tim Tiehen.

Tiehen spoke to KTLA on Aug. 19 for a story on a man’s arrest for allegedly carrying a loaded gun near the theme park.

Tim Tiehen, aka “the Birdman,” spoke to KTLA on Aug. 19, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

At the scene of the stabbing, a blue-and-yellow parrot was perched on the handlebars of a bicycle, video showed. A gloved officer tried to coax the parrot into a cardboard box.

Police said Monday that the bird was taken into custody by OC Animal Care.

Trapp said he could not confirm the victim’s identity due to privacy laws.

The lieutenant was unsure whether the victim’s wounds were life threatening.

KTLA’s Geoff Peters contributed to this story.

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A retired Anaheim drama teacher was arrested on suspicion of molesting two students and possessing child pornography, police said Wednesday.

David Bruce is seen in an booking photo provided by the Anaheim Police Department.

David Bruce, who taught drama at Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim for nearly 30 years, was taken into custody after police served a search warrant at his home in an unincorporated area of Anaheim on Tuesday, the Anaheim Police Department stated in a news release.

Bruce allegedly molested the two children, both of whom are adults now, when they were students at the junior high school.

Bruce taught at the school from October 1981 until his retirement in 2010, according to the news release.

He continued to work as a substitute teacher through 2013, the Police Department stated.

Bruce was booked on two counts of child molestation and one count of possession of child pornography.

His bail was set at $100,000, which he has posted, the Police Department stated.

Police were looking for possible additional victims.

Anyone with information regarding the case was asked to call Detective Cashell at 714-765-1972 or Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.

Police on Monday were investigating a triple shooting in Anaheim that left two young men and a teenage girl injured, authorities said.

An investigation was underway into a shooting that left three people injured in Anaheim on Sept. 20, 2015. (Credit: Southern Counties News)

Officers responded to the 1600 block of South Ivanhoe Street (map) around 10:30 p.m. Sunday to a report of multiple shots fired and discovered the three victims, according to Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department.

The trio had been standing inside a partially open garage when the shooting occurred, Wyatt said.

All were hit by the gunfire.

Authorities have not released the names of the victims, but the sergeant said one was a 17-year-old girl from Santa Ana, another was a 21-year-old man from Garden Grove, and the third one was a 20-year-old man from Anaheim.

They were all hospitalized with injuries that were not considered to be life threatening, he added.

It was not known whether one or more people opened fire on the garage, and police did not provide any details or descriptions of the assailant or assailants.

A motive for the shooting was also not immediately known. Police were investigating whether the incident was gang-related, Wyatt said.

No further information about the shooting was available.

A gunman who shot and killed a man in Anaheim was being sought Wednesday after the victim was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

An investigation was underway in Anaheim on Oct. 21, 2015, after the body of a man with a gunshot wound to the head was discovered in an SUV. (Credit: OnScene TV)

Firefighters from Anaheim Fire and Rescue originally responded to a medical aid call near the intersection of South East Street and East Topaz Avenue at around 11:35 p.m. Tuesday, according to Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Daron Wyatt.

When they arrived at the scene, they found a man located in the vehicle's driver seat had been shot in the head, Wyatt said.

The victim, described as a 26-year-old Anaheim resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man, whose identity was not being released due to the ongoing investigation, was shot and killed by an unknown person, Wyatt confirmed.

A description of the gunman and further information about the shooting was not made available.

KTLA's Jennifer Thang and Irving Last contributed to this report.

A police officer responding to a suspicious person call opened fire, fatally wounding 22-year-old man in Anaheim Tuesday morning.

an ambulance was called to Sage Park after an officer involved shooting on Feb. 9, 2016. (credit: OnScene.TV)

The call came in to police just before midnight about a suspicious person in the 1300 block of West Lido Place, Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

The person had been knocking on a door in the area, Wyatt said.

A resident who did not recognize the person asked him to leave, but he came back and knocked again before finally leaving the area.

That's when the resident decided to call police, Wyatt said.

Responding officers were unable to find the person in the residential area and split up about 12:38 a.m. to search nearby Sage Park, according to Wyatt.

Approximately three minutes later, one of the officers broadcast over the radio that he had been involved in an officer-involved shooting, Wyatt said.

The man was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about 1:20 a.m.

He was later identified by the coroner's office as Gustavo Najera, 22, of Anaheim.

The officer involved in the shooting was apparently wearing a body camera, one official on scene said.

In recordings released on Sunday, 911 callers are heard reporting a gunman who shot and wounded his brother-in-law in Anaheim before himself being fatally shot by police, authorities said.

A witness’s photo shows police and firefighter-paramedics in Anaheim after officers shot and killed a man on Feb. 20, 2016.

“He looked like he was really mad and he had a gun,” a female caller tells a dispatcher in one of the calls, which was received late Saturday afternoon, according to the Anaheim Police Department.

Officers responded about 4:45 p.m. to a report of a shooting in the 2000 block of West Cris Avenue. A police helicopter unit arrived at the scene, where a man was lying in the street and bleeding. Another man, later identified as 30-year-old Danny Rendon, was pointing a handgun at the wounded man, police said in a statement.

As the helicopter circled overhead, “it is believed the suspect fired the handgun at the police helicopter and its crew,” the news release said. The helicopter was not struck by gunfire.

Police ground units arrived at the location and confronted Rendon, who dropped the gun, according to authorities. However, after he refused to comply with commands from police, three officers opened fire, the statement said.

Rendon was struck and killed in the shooting. Rendon’s brother-in-law, who had been shot once in the leg by the suspect, was transported to a hospital in stable condition, police said. No officers were hurt.

A firearm was recovered near Rendon’s body, the news release said.

According to investigators, the suspect had earlier shot at and missed two people, whom he did not know, near the intersection of South Roberts Street and West Juno Avenue. The motive for that shooting was unclear.

Rendon then drove to his estranged wife’s home on West Cris Avenue, brandishing a firearm at several people along the way, police said.

“Somebody’s with a gun behind us,” a female caller says in one of the 911 recordings, before describing the gunman’s vehicle. On the same call, a male voice is heard saying the shooter fired twice into the air.

Rendon shot his brother-in-law after arriving at the residence, according to the news release.

In accordance with protocol, the police shooting was being investigated by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from Anaheim police homicide detectives. Simultaneous investigations were being conducted by the Police Department’s Major Incident Review Team and the Orange County Office of Independent Review.

An Orange County Sheriff’s Department vehicle is seen in Anaheim after police fatally shot a man on Feb. 20, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)

A 17-year-old skateboarder and the driver of a truck were hospitalized Wednesday morning after the vehicle struck the teenager in Anaheim and overturned, authorities said.

Police photos from the scene of the crash, which was reported about 7:40 a.m., showed an overturned vehicle in a parking lot in the 1400 block of West Ball Road.

An evidence marker is left at the scene where a teen skateboarder was struck by a truck in Anaheim on Feb. 24, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)

Witnesses told investigators that the truck was traveling eastbound on Ball when the driver slowed down, apparently to make a U-turn, said Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department. The vehicle then accelerated suddenly, crossed the westbound lanes, jumped the curb and struck the male skateboarder, the sergeant said.

The truck went through some bushes and slammed through a wall before tipping over onto its side, according to police.

The driver, a 64-year-old man, and the skateboarder were initially transported to a hospital in critical condition, Wyatt said.

Anaheim police officers are seen near a truck that hit a skateboarder in Anaheim on Feb. 24, 2016. (Credit: Anaheim Police Department)

As the teenager was being prepped for surgery on his leg, hospital staff "found something wrong with his heart area," adding to the seriousness of his condition, the sergeant said.

The teen was in stable condition by afternoon, Wyatt said.

The victim, a Gilbert High School student, had been on his way to the campus at the time of the collision, according to police. Neither he nor the driver were immediately identified by name.

The incident appeared to be accidental, Wyatt said, adding that an investigation was ongoing.

Three people were stabbed, 12 were arrested — including a juvenile — and one man was being sought after a “walking protest” involving the Ku Klux Klan turned violent as members of the group clashed with counterprotesters in Anaheim on Saturday, according to the local police department.

A Ku Klux Klansman, left, struggles with a protester for an American flag after members of the KKK tried to start a "White Lives Matter" rally at Pearson Park in Anaheim on Saturday. Three people were treated at the scene for stab wounds, and 13 people were arrested. (Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Violence erupted after six suspected members of the KKK arrived at the south side of Pearson Park, located at 400 North Harbor Blvd., for a planned “walking protest,” an Anaheim Police Department news release stated.

About 30 counterprotesters immediately confronted the KKK members, police said.

During the melee, KKK members allegedly stabbed three counterprotesters, and two KKK members were “stomped on the ground” by counterprotesters, according to police.

Four people were hospitalized, including the three stabbing victims and one stomping victim, who was listed in stable condition.

One of the stabbing victims was initially transported to an area hospital and said to be in critical condition, but police later said he was stable. The two other stabbing victims were also in stable condition.

The other four people who had been stomped on had suffered minor injuries and “refused treatment,” police said.

It was not clear who began the confrontation or what the victims were stabbed with.

“Even if the vast majority of our community disagrees with a particular group who visits our city, we cannot stop then from lawfully gathering to express their opinions,” Anaheim Police Chief Raul Quezada said. “Violence is not acceptable, and we will arrest anybody who assaults another person or commits any other crime in our city.”

Police initially said 13 people had been arrested, but on Saturday night said 12 were arrested — four of whom were later released — and one man was still being sought.

Five suspected KKK members — four males and one female — were initially arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection to the stabbings. And seven counterprotesters — six males and one female — were initially arrested on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury.

One of those arrested was a male juvenile part of the group of counterprotesters, police said.

Police identified the seven adults who were arrested, including four on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon: Charles Edward Donner, 51, of San Francisco; Marquis DeShawn Turner, 20, of Anaheim; Randy Omarcc Felder, 25, of Lakewood; and Guy Harris, a 19-year-old transient. All found were being held on $25,000 bail.

Three others who were arrested on suspicion of elder abuse were also identified: Nicole Rae Schop, 24, of L.A.; Mark Anthony Liddell, 26, of L.A.; and Hugo Contreras, 38, of Hawthorne. All three were being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Details on the elder abuse allegations were not provided by police.

The Anaheim Police Department released this image on Feb. 27, 2016, of a man being sought on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. The search was in connection to a violent clash between KKK members and protesters that day.

Police also released a picture of a man who was being sought on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury.

Cellphone video captured the two groups clashing, as dozens took to the street, screaming at one another while several people tussled.

“We came here for a peaceful protest — white lives matter — and we get jumped,” said a KKK member with a shirt that read “Grand Dragon.”

In the same cellphone video, a person not in view replied, “I think you had to expect something.”

The same KKK member could be seen struggling over an American flag in a photo captured by the Los Angeles Times, which also reported he had been kicked by a counterprotester at one point.

Other Times photos captured blood smeared across the sidewalk and a counterprotester collapsed to the ground.

The injured protester could be seen with his dark-colored shirt hiked up, holding what appeared to be some tissue or gauze over the right side of his chest. Blood was visible on his clothing and on the ground next to where he was being treated for his wound.

He was crying out that he had been stabbed, according to the paper.

Police said they were on scene “immediately as the violence erupted.”

“Accommodating peaceful, nonviolent demonstration and expression of speech is a priority of my department, and this planned rally was no exception,” Quezada said.

The mayor concurred that people’s right to peacefully demonstrate had to be protected.

“We will always honor free speech in Anaheim, but we vehemently reject hate and violent confrontation,” Mayor Tom Tait said. “Anaheim is proud to draw strength from its diversity, tolerance and kindness, and Saturday’s events run counter to that.”

The Police Department believes “there were potentially dozens of individuals filming the incident,” and asked anyone with photographs or video to contact CrimeStoppers by calling 855-TIP-OCCS or visiting http://www.occrimestoppers.org.

It was not known why the KKK chose Anaheim for Saturday’s demonstration, but the group has had a sporadic presence in Orange County and a long history in the Anaheim area, the Times reported.

At one time, four of five Anaheim City Council seats were held by Klansmen before they were removed in 1924, and nearly 300 once lived in the area.

More recently, KKK business cards and anti-MLK propaganda was left in the front of dozens of Santa Ana homes in January 2015, and in July 2014 KKK recruitment flyers were distributed in the city of Orange.

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Police were asking for the public’s help Sunday in identifying one person wanted in connection with a violent melee at a Ku Klux Klan event in Anaheim that occurred when members of the group clashed with protesters the previous day, leaving five people injured and 12 others under arrest.

A protester was stabbed at the site of a Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim on Saturday. (Credit: James Queally / Los Angeles Times)

The violence broke out about 12:10 p.m. Saturday when six suspected KKK members arrived at Pearson Park for a scheduled “walking protest” and were immediately confronted by 30 protesters, Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department said in a news release.

Two alleged KKK members were “stomped on the ground” by protesters, while three protesters were allegedly stabbed by members of the white supremacist group, the release stated.

One of the protesters collapsed to the ground, crying out that he had been stabbed, the Los Angeles Times reported. A handcuffed Klansman was overheard telling an officer that he “stabbed him in self-defense.”

Witnesses at the scene told the newspaper the point of a flagpole had been used in the stabbing, though they were unsure if it was with an American or Confederate flag.

Both flags were seen at the event on Saturday.

Three people were stabbed during a Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim on Feb. 27, 2016. (Credit: Heather Boucher)

Three of the stabbing victims were in stable condition, and one stomping victim was hospitalized. The other stomping victim refused transport despite having minor injuries, Wyatt said in the release.

Police have not yet indicated how the confrontation began, nor did they say what objects or weapons were used in the stabbings.

The melee was caught on multiple videos taken from the scene.

One graphic cellphone video captured both sides clashing in the middle of the street outside the park, screaming at each other before the violence erupted. Punches were thrown as fights broke out, and blood was splattered all over the sidewalk.

One KKK member appeared to be trying to defend himself with an American flag as protesters converged, another video from the scene showed.

The "melee in the street  ... stretched almost a whole city block down Cypress Street, where a number of other fights broke out,” Wyatt said at the scene.

Protesters scuffle with a Ku Klux Klansman after members of the KKK tried to start a "White Lives Matter" rally at Pearson Park in Anaheim. The event quickly escalated into violence. (Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Several protesters, armed with two-by-fours and other weapons, attacked the Klan members, forcing several of them to jump into an SUV and flee, according to Brian Levin, director of Cal State San Bernardino’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Levin was at the event, he told the Times.

He did not state whether the sides had clashed prior to that.

Five KKK members –- four men and a woman -- were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for the stabbings. Seven protesters -– six males and a woman –- were arrested on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, the release said. All of the people arrested were adults, except for a male juvenile protester.

The five KKK members were later released after witness statements and images corroborated their statements that they acted in self-defense, police said.

The Anaheim Police Department released this image on Feb. 27, 2016, of a man being sought on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. The search was in connection to a violent clash between KKK members and protesters that day.

Police also released a photo of one person, a protester, who was wanted on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. He was the only “suspect” that remained outstanding, and police were hoping the picture would lead to someone identifying him.

Anaheim police had previously said they were aware of the planned KKK event, as well the counter protest, and had sent a contingent of law enforcement personnel to the park as a result.

“It’s important to remember that the Klan’s message, as reprehensible as many of us may feel it is, it’s protected by the First Amendment, and we can’t be getting in the middle of stopping them from doing that," Wyatt said at the scene.

Anaheim police Chief Raul Quezada agreed with the sergeant.

“Even if the vast majority of our community disagrees with a particular group who visits our city we cannot stop them from lawfully gathering to express their opinions,” Quezada stated in the release.

Still, the rally caught some nearby residents off guard.

“It’s crazy for them to even come over here, where there’s a majority of minorities here,” one witness told KTLA. “It’s like we’re at a different time and the world -- we got to be moving forward, and this is not helping.”

Police continued to interview witnesses in the incidents, and planned to forward their findings and recommendations for prosecution to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, according to Quezada.

Anaheim police officials asked anyone who witnessed the violent confrontation -- especially those with photographs or video -- to contact CrimeStoppers by calling 855-TIP-OCCS or visiting occrimestoppers.org.

Five members of the Ku Klux Klan linked to a brawl in Anaheim that resulted in three counterprotesters being stabbed and two Klansmen being “stomped on” were released because they acted in self-defense, the Anaheim Police Department said Sunday.

Twelve people were arrested and one man was being sought after the Saturday afternoon melee near Pearson Park.

Five people were released after images, including photographs and cellphone video, and witness statements corroborated their claims that they acted in self-defense, the Police Department said.

“Regardless of an individual or groups’ beliefs or ideologies, they are entitled to live without the fear of physical violence and have the right, under the law, to defend themselves when attacked,” a police news release stated. “Even still, the case will be presented to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for review and it will make the final determination regarding whether criminal charges will be filed.”

The seven people who remained in custody allegedly beat and stomped on the Klansmen, the Associated Press reported.

The violent altercation began after about six members of the white supremacist group arrived at the park for a “walking protest” and were met by a group of about 30 counterprotesters.

The two groups then clashed, and cellphone video captured people screaming at each other while some were knocked to the ground, punched and stabbed.

Witnesses at the scene told the Los Angeles Times the point of a flagpole had been used in at least one stabbing, though they were unsure if it was with an American or Confederate flag. Police would not confirm what weapon was used.

“The regrettable incident was the result of approximately 10 to 20 individuals who came to the park with the intent of perpetrating violence,” police said Sunday.

The Anaheim Police Department released this image on Feb. 27, 2016, of a man being sought on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. The search was in connection to a violent clash between KKK members and protesters that day.

Two alleged KKK members were “stomped on the ground” by protesters and three protesters were allegedly stabbed by members of KKK, police said.

Four people were hospitalized after the incident — the three stabbing victims and one stomping victim.

All four were said to be stable as of Saturday night, hours after police initially said one stabbing victim was critically injured.

One man was being sought by police after the incident on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury.

Of the five KKK members who were released, four were released by Saturday night and one was released Sunday morning, Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

They had been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection to the stabbings.

The seven protesters — including one juvenile — were under arrest on suspicion of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, police said.

Three people had also been arrested on suspicion of elder abuse, police said Saturday, but details on the allegations were not provided.

Criticism of the Anaheim Police Department’s response to a Ku Klux Klan rally that erupted in violence over the weekend continued Monday as an attorney for three people who took part in protests against the group and were arrested claimed officers broke the arm of one of his clients.

Thomas Kielty, who is representing the three protesters arrested near Pearson Park on Saturday, said Hugo Contreras suffered a broken arm as police took him into custody. Kielty said his clients were attempting to detain a klansman who had stabbed another protester and that police mistook them for aggressors when they were arrested on suspicion of elder abuse.

Contreras, a 38-year-old Hawthorne resident, was arrested along with Mark Liddell, 26, of Los Angeles, and Nicole Rae Schop, a 24-year-old high school teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Kielty criticized the Police Department’s response to the violence, which broke out when a group of counter-protesters swarmed a small group of KKK members outside the park about noon.

Click here to read the full story on LATimes.com.

A man accused of attempting to rob an Anaheim Subway and holding two female employees at knifepoint was recovering after being shot by an officer on Sunday, according to local police.

A woman called 911 around 2 p.m., but because she was whispering the dispatcher was only able to understand her location — a Subway restaurant in the 1100 block of West Lincoln Avenue, Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

Police responded to the “unknown trouble call,” and arrived about 7 minutes later, he added.

Once at the location, the officers realized the Subway’s doors were locked, and after looking through the windows, they saw a man leading two female employees at knifepoint to the back of the restaurant.

“As the events were unfolding, something occurred inside the business that made the officers feel that they needed to force entry to rescue the victims,” Wyatt said.

One officer then shot the man, who was described by Wyatt as being a 33-year-old transient.

He was transported to a hospital in critical condition, but later said to be stable and expected to survive.

Investigators believe the man was attempting to rob the Subway, and the two employees indicated they did not know him.

The female victims were not physically injured, but Wyatt said they appeared traumatized.

The officers involved were wearing body cameras, he added. It was not known if the footage would be released.

A knife was also recovered inside the business, according to Wyatt.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Police Department homicide detective and its Major Incident Review Team, and Anaheim’s Office of Independent Review all responded to the scene.

KTLA’s Feven Kiflegiorgis contributed to this report.

A woman leaving a birthday party ran over her 16-month-old niece, killing the little girl, in what is believed to be a “tragic accident,” police said Sunday.

The 22-year-old aunt was leaving a relative’s home in the 6000 block of East Camino Manzano around 5:30 p.m. Saturday when the incident occurred, Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

She was backed into the driveway and pulling forward when she felt the vehicle roll over something and heard screaming, he said.

The woman then realized her 16-month-old niece had been struck.

The child’s father rushed her to Placentia-Linda Hospital, nearly 15 minutes away, according to Google Maps.

The girl, identified as Laila Arman by the Orange County coroner’s office, was pronounced dead around 6:21 p.m.

The coroner’s office also stated the vehicle involved was a pickup truck.

The aunt was “obviously distraught, but cooperative,” Wyatt said.

She stayed at the scene, and drugs or alcohol were not believed to be a factor.

“We all have heavy hearts today.  It is so hard having to watch a family go through something like this,” Wyatt said.

An investigation continues, but the incident appears to have been a “tragic accident.”

KTLA’s Feven Kiflegiorgis contributes to this report.