PHOENIX β Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone says two officers who fatally shot an erratic man after he had thrown a four-pound wrench at them had no other choice but to use deadly force.
Penzone says his deputies did all they could to calm down Juan Torres late Friday outside his family's home in Buckeye, but Torres refused to drop the wrench.
The sheriff says officers fired their guns after Torres hurled a wrench at one officer, who ducked but was still struck in back of the neck.
Torres' father, Ricardo Torres, acknowledged his son Juan had had drug problems in the past, but says he believes his son was undergoing a mental breakdown.
He also says the family had been trying for about a week to get him psychological help.
