Man fatally stabbed near SAP Center is identified

But identity of suspect, who was shot and killed by officers, unknown

SAN JOSE >> Authorities on Tuesday identified the victim of a fatal stabbing near the SAP Center in San Jose on Sunday, but the suspect, who was shot and killed by officers, remained unidentified.

The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office identified the stabbing victim as Lawrence Taylor, 51.

The stabbing was reported at Autumn and Julian streets at 8:17 a.m. Sunday, police said. Officers found Taylor in the middle of the intersection suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Police said officers also found a man armed with a knife. They ordered him to drop the weapon and fired less lethal beanbag rounds at him when he moved toward them. The rounds brought the man to a knee, but he continued to advance. That’s when three officers opened fire with their service weapons, fatally wounding the man.

Taylor and the suspect both were pronounced dead at the scene.

There was no immediate evidence establishing a motive or any connection between the two, police said.

The suspect was on probation for a conviction of assault with a deadly weapon and was wanted on a felony warrant for the same offense, said San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia at a news conference Monday.

“This murderer, which is what he is and what he was, dictated the outcome of this event,” Garcia said. “These officers were called, and they answered.” The officer-involved shooting was the city’s third of the year and the second since Friday, when an officer fired at an armed suspect but missed, police said.

That suspect, identified as 27-year-old San Jose resident Cristoban Martinez Lima, was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County jail on weapons charges and a probation violation.

Anyone with information about the stabbing can contact San Jose police Detective Sgt. John Cary or Detective Elizabeth Ramirez at 408-2775283, or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at svcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.