Bodycam: Calif. Deputy Stops Advancing Suspect Armed With Samurai Sword

A Kern County sheriff's deputy followed agency policy when he shot and wounded a Rosamond man who repeatedly approached him with a samurai sword, according to an internal investigation.

Sept. 10, 2026

3 min read

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The Kern County Sheriff's Office determined that an Aug. 3 deputy-involved shooting involving a sword-wielding suspect in Rosamond was within department policy and released body camera footage and 911 audio of the incident.
Investigators say the encounter began as a noise complaint call but escalated when 22-year-old Joshua Dribin allegedly threatened a neighbor, retrieved a Japanese-style sword and repeatedly advanced toward a deputy while demanding to be shot.
After multiple commands to drop the weapon, the deputy fired three rounds, striking Dribin and ending the confrontation.

By Peter Segall

Source The Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office found a deputy-involved shooting of a suspect who advanced toward a deputy with a sword last month was within department policy.

In a statement Tuesday, KCSO said the internal investigation into the Aug. 3 incident in Rosamond where a deputy non-lethally shot a man brandishing a sword was determined to be within policy at a Sept. 3 meeting of an Incident Review Board.

The department also released body camera footage of the incident and audio of the 911 call.

The video shows that suspect Joshua Dribin, 22, called KCSO to his address at the Desert Oasis Mobile Estates in the 3300 block of 15th Street West to make a noise complaint against a neighbor. He said the neighbor revs up his vehicle engine whenever he tries to go to sleep at night.

The interaction starts out calm, with the deputy saying he would speak to the driver and questioning whether the driver revs the engine to get over the speed bumps on the street.

Dribin said he’d punch the driver, and the deputy told him to do so would be a crime.

“I’m going to make him where he can’t come near me,” Dribin said. He also said he would kill the driver.

During the incident, Dribin became increasingly combative and retrieved a Japanese-style sword from inside his residence. The deputy called for back-up.

Dribin repeatedly told the deputy to shoot and kill him while approaching him with the sword. The deputy repeatedly told Dribin to drop the sword and warned that he would shoot.

As Dribin continued to advance toward the deputy, the deputy fired three shots. Dribin briefly remained standing following the shooting, taking several steps before collapsing, and continued to talk.

“I wanted you to shoot me,” he said.

It is not clear from the video how many times Dribin was hit.

Dribin was treated by deputies at the scene, the video shows, and was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

No deputies or additional civilians were injured in the shooting, KCSO said.

Dribin was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer; resisting a peace office using force; exhibiting a deadly weapon at a peace officer to resist arrest; and resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer in the performance of their duties.

He is being held at the Lerdo Justice Facility on $50,000 bail and is set to appear in Kern County Superior Court on Thursday.

KCSO asked that anyone with information call 661-861-3110 or Kern Secret Witness at 661-322-4040.

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