SAN ANTONIO -- A Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy shot an armed man Tuesday after the suspect allegedly advanced toward deputies while holding two large knives during a reported mental health crisis.

According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, deputies responded around 6:30 p.m. on June 23 to a report of a suspicious person on a residential front porch. Callers reported a man armed with several knives who appeared to be experiencing a mental health episode.

When deputies arrived, they located an Asian male believed to be in his 30s standing near the porch of a home. Salazar said the man was armed with two large knives that resembled short samurai-style swords.

Three deputies attempted to establish communication with the suspect while ordering him to drop the weapons. Salazar said the man remained largely unresponsive and concealed himself behind a stone pillar on the porch.

"The deputies did order him several times to stop advancing on them and to drop the weapons," Salazar said.

According to the sheriff, the suspect eventually emerged from behind the pillar and began advancing toward deputies while holding both knives. Salazar described the man's movement as a serpentine pattern as he closed the distance between himself and the deputies.

After the suspect allegedly ignored repeated commands to stop and disarm, one deputy fired multiple rounds.

The man was struck at least twice and transported to a hospital in critical condition. Salazar said the suspect was undergoing surgery and was expected to survive.

Investigators are still working to positively identify the man. Authorities believe he may live in the neighborhood where the incident occurred.

Salazar said deputies had responded to a call involving the same individual the previous night. At that time, the man reportedly did not meet the criteria for a mental health detention and told deputies he intended to seek treatment at a hospital on his own.

The sheriff said a specialized mental health unit had been dispatched to the scene but would not have assumed primary contact responsibilities because the suspect was armed. Deputies made contact out of concern that the man could attempt to enter nearby homes.

"Our deputies had to make contact with him for fear that he may try to enter somebody's home while armed," Salazar said.

The deputy who fired the shots is a 16-year veteran of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and has served approximately three years in patrol after previously working in the county jail.

In accordance with agency policy, the involved deputies have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and psychological evaluations.

The Sheriff's Office Public Integrity Unit, Internal Affairs Division and officer-involved shooting investigators are conducting separate concurrent investigations into the incident.

Based on his preliminary review of body-worn camera footage, Salazar said deputies spent several minutes attempting to de-escalate the encounter before the suspect advanced while armed.

"They were telling him that they just wanted to get him some help, to just drop the knives and come out and talk to them," Salazar said.