Suicidal transgender man killed by cops had viral video about life with Asperger’s syndrome

Mesa police say Kayden Clarke, who was born Danielle Jacobs, lunged at the officers with a kitchen knife

A transgender Arizona man whose online video about his struggle with Asperger’s syndrome went viral last summer was shot and killed by cops.

Responding to a report of a suicidal person Thursday, officers from the Mesa Police Department outside Phoenix were dispatched to Kayden Clarke’s home in east Mesa, where the fatal encounter occurred.

Esteban Flores, a spokesman for Mesa police, identifying Clarke by his legal name, Danielle Jacobs, told local media that two officers were forced to fire in self-defense when the 24-year-old attacked them with a large kitchen knife.

“Two officers attempted to talk to Danielle through an open door in a hallway. Danielle came to the open door holding a large chef-style cutting knife,” Flores said during a press conference Friday.

“They told Danielle to drop the knife at that point, and she lunged, extending the knife towards the officers from a very close distance. The officers felt threatened at that point and discharged their duty weapons.”

Last June, Clarke posted a brave video of himself experiencing one of his recurring meltdowns, in which he hits himself in the chest and head while sobbing. His service dog, a large black Rottweiler named Sampson, can be seen using his snout and paws to stop the self-harm and comfort his owner. The original video, which had been seen millions of times, has since been made private.

Asperger's syndrome is type of “pervasive developmental disorder” that is similar to autism. People with the condition are often highly intelligent but struggle in social situations, and often have obsessive interests in niche topics.

Kae Glenn, a friend of Clarke's who is also a transgender man, told the Arizona Republic that the difficulty of transitioning and living with Asperger’s syndrome and other health issues was highly stressful.

"He was frustrated that no matter what therapist he saw, no one understood and neglected his desire for health and happiness," he wrote to the local paper.

Glenn, who worked with Clarke at a local Target, said that Clarke had been going through tough times for a long time.

"He was stressed about life. His future. His gender. Discrimination at work and online,” he continued. “There was a lot of hate aimed towards him. He suffered drastically ... not because of just his body, but because of social media and his social situation."

According to Flores, the two officers involved in the fatal shooting had stun guns but no less lethal alternatives. A third officer, recognizing the severity of the situation, he said, was retrieving a less-lethal weapon — a bean-bag gun — from his vehicle when the shots were fired.

Both officers who fired their weapons are on administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

Heather Allen, the founder of HALO Animal Rescue, where Clarke had volunteered, told The Associated Press that she asked police to check on the young man after he sent a suicidal email asking that someone watch over his dog.

"I wasn't there, so I don't know how she was behaving," Allen told the wire service. "I wish they had been able to use non-lethal restraint, if they could have used a Taser or a beanbag gun.”

The Mesa Police Department did not immediately return a call from Yahoo News.