Grover Beach man fatally shot by police is identified

Officials on Monday identified the Grover Beach man fatally shot by police late Wednesday night after he allegedly charged toward officers with a weapon.

Sgt. Juan Leon and Officer Matthew Monteiro responded to a disturbance in the 1000 block of Brighton Avenue and shot 58-year-old Kenneth Alan Eustace, according to a Grover Beach Police Department news release.

The officers arrived on the scene about 10:15 p.m. and found Eustace outside a home armed with a “large blunt object.”

He became “argumentative and combative” toward Leon and Monteiro, who tried to calm him down and asked him to drop his weapon. When Eustace wouldn’t comply and threatened the officers, they deployed a Taser, which had no effect.

He continued to threaten Leon and Monteiro and “charged toward them with the weapon in a threatening manner,” resulting in the fatal shooting, according to the release. Eustace was pronounced dead at the scene.

Residents on Thursday told The Tribune that Eustace had become a frequent presence in the neighborhood and said he’d exhibited odd behavior in the past.

An obituary posted on Marshall-Spoo Sunset Memorial Chapel’s website described Eustace as a “kind, witty and caring man” who declined into “paranoia and survival mode” after suffering a brain trauma earlier this year.

Eustace, who lived on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and loved the Grover Beach Library, will be remembered for his “sharp wit” and “slightly wicked sense of humor,” according to the obituary.

Leon, an 18-year Grover Beach police veteran, and Monteiro, who’s served with the department for 17 months, remain on paid administrative leave. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Grover Beach man fatally shot by police is identified."