A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy is in stable condition after a shooting late Monday night in City Terrace left one suspect dead at the scene, various news outlets reported.
The altercation began when a patrol unit spotted and approached a “suspicious vehicle” just before 11:30 p.m. on the 3600 block of Meisner Street, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell. One of the people in the car produced a handgun and began struggling with the deputy, whose partner ran to his aid, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
That suspect, a 42-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. The deputy, who was shot once in the forearm, was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The two other occupants were detained and are being held while the shooting is investigated.
Monday night’s altercation is the third deputy-involved shooting in the county the in the last week and the second in unincorporated areas in the Eastside. A deputy was injured Monday morning in Compton while responding to a robbery, and two others were shot last week at Salazar Park, in East Los Angeles. McDonnell called these incidents “very concerning” in a press conference early Tuesday morning.
McDonnell said no information was available on the deputies’ reason for stopping the vehicle on Monday night.
“The deputies were out there protecting the community, putting themselves between the threat and the community members,” McDonnell said. “We’re very thankful.”
The incident will be investigated separately by the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau, which respond whenever a deputy-involved shooting occurs and a person is struck by gunfire, the Sheriff’s Department said on Facebook. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will also examine if the shooting was legally justified to determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
