Blanton is the executive director of Shoreline Community Services, which supports unsheltered individuals in San Diego’s Central Beach Area and operates The Compass Station, a trauma-informed drop-in resource center.

On May 9, a man at the Pacific Beach Public Library became agitated and began swinging a hatchet at desks and computers. Library staff and security got him outside, and police were dispatched. Officers repeatedly commanded him to drop the weapon before shooting him multiple times. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.

We know this man.

His story illustrates the failure of every public system meant to protect him — and our community.

Since August 2024, we have interacted with him 19 times during his visits to The Compass Station, providing support to improve his he

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