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Family of Calif. man killed by police stunned by loss

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The family of a man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Sacramento, Calif. is speaking out, saying they didn't think their call to 911 would end in a fatal shooting.

Jose Cardenas, a 22-year-old father of three, was killed by police Saturday after Cardenas' family called 911 to report that the 22-year-old was threatening his brother with a knife, for taking his keys so he wouldn't drive drunk, reports CBS Sacramento.

"I'm not okay, I'm so frustrated. I'm sad, I'm mad, I'm every feeling you could imagine," said Erica Aguirre, Cardenas' sister.

Police say Cardenas' actions left them no choice but to shoot. Investigators say Cardenas would not comply with orders. They say they first used a stun gun to try to get Cardenas under control, but that did not stop him from allegedly threatening officers with a butcher's knife, forcing the officers to fire, reports the station.

A check of Sacramento County Court records shows Cardenas' had a violent criminal history, according to CBS Sacramento. He was reportedly sentenced to two years for burglary and assault with a deadly weapon in 2011.

His family called police because they felt threatened themselves. But now they're in mourning over the young father they never got a chance to say goodbye to.

"He cared so much about his family," Yesenia Miranda, Cardenas' girlfriend, told the station.

The two Sacramento officers who fired the shots are on paid administrative leave, standard procedure for the department following a police-involved shooting.

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