911 Domestic-Violence Call Response – Suspect Attempts to Gain Control of Deputy’s Firearm
LANCASTER – A 911 call brought on an immediate response at 5:22 AM on June 11th when a call from a woman kept the phone open – to deliver a lengthy brawl taking place on the 600 block of West Avenue H12.
“She never speaks to the operator but rather the phone line is left open,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Deputy James Nagao. “For several minutes arguing and fighting between the caller and the suspect can be heard in the background.”
Amidst the phone fracas, arriving Deputies “made contact with the suspect inside the location and attempted to detain him for a domestic violence investigation,” said Deputy Nagao. His refusal to comply with the Deputy’s orders resulted in an altercation:
“The suspect reached down and attempted to gain control of one of the deputy’s firearms,” added Deputy Nagao. “It was at that time when a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
The approximately 60-year-old male Black adult suspect was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau Detectives investigated the circumstances surrounding the deputy-involved shooting. They found that the 911 call was placed by the suspect’s girlfriend.
The Homicide Detectives’ recorded statement included the victim’s saying that she’d been assaulted by the suspect.
“Whenever a deputy-involved shooting occurs involving LASD Deputies, and a person is struck by gunfire, multiple independent investigations immediately begin at the scene,” said LASD Deputy Grace Medrano. “These include separate investigations by the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau. LASD immediately notifies the Office of the Inspector General who sends a representative to the incident scene and provides independent oversight throughout the investigative process. Once concluded, a preliminary review is conducted by the Critical Incident Review Panel to determine whether any immediate actions are warranted.”
“Every aspect of the shooting is reviewed by the Sheriff’s Executive Force Review Committee,” said Deputy Medrano. “Input from Constitutional Policing Advisors is provided during the process. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Justice System Integrity Division, conducts a legal analysis to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed and if the shooting was legally justified.”
No deputies were injured during the incident. There is no additional information available during the highly-involved process of the ongoing homicide investigation.
