A son who chased his mother down the street with a sharp axe to behead her has gotten the surprise of his life after police appeared at the scene.
A son was shot in the head as he chased his mother to cut her into pieces in the street. However, the man was stopped as policemen shot at him.
Police had arrived at the scene after a reported car crash, but were surprised when a terrified mother ran from the building, chased by her son wielding a large axe.
The son managed to land a blow to her head before police shot him in the road, officers said.
Police in San Jose, California, told local paper The Mercury that both survived but are seriously ill in hospital.
San Jose police said that both the 26-year-old suspect and his mother were taken to the hospital and are listed in stable condition, including the mother, who was reportedly hit in the head. Their identities remain hidden.
"We observed him strike the mother with an axe," Lt Tom Sims told the paper.
"And unfortunately [officers] had to discharge their firearms to stop his behaviour."