Deputies Shoot Knife-Wielding Man in Azusa

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot a man Wednesday afternoon after responding to a reported attempted suicide in an unincorporated area near Azusa, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Investigators said the man was armed with a knife, refused commands to drop it and then moved toward a deputy near a patrol vehicle. The shooting happened about 3:30 p.m. in the 5500 block of North Orangecrest Avenue. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and no deputies were injured. ### Where did the confrontation happen? The 5500 block of North Orangecrest Avenue was the site of the shooting, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. The location is in an unincorporated area near Azusa in the San Gabriel Valley. San Dimas Sheriff’s Station deputies responded there after a call reporting an attempted suicide, according to the department. The station patrols unincorporated communities including areas of Azusa, the department says. ### What did deputies say happened before shots were fired? The Sheriff’s Department said deputies arrived and encountered an adult man who came out of a side gate while holding a knife. Investigators said he had been harming himself before deputies got there. A department statement cited by local outlets said the man refused repeated orders to surrender the knife. Investigators said he then charged at the nearest deputy, who was positioned near a patrol vehicle, and a deputy-involved shooting followed. KTLA reported that deputies and firefighters rendered aid at the scene before the man was transported to a hospital. Authorities said he was in critical condition as of Thursday. A knife with an approximately 3-inch blade was recovered at the scene, KTLA reported. ### What is known about the man and the deputies? The Sheriff’s Department had not publicly identified the man in the initial accounts released Wednesday and Thursday. Officials also did not identify the deputy who fired. No deputies were injured, according to the department. Authorities did not immediately say how many shots were fired or whether less-lethal force was attempted before the shooting. ### Who investigates a deputy-involved shooting in Los Angeles County? The Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau investigates deputy-involved shootings in which a person is struck by gunfire, according to the department’s transparency page. The department says the Internal Affairs Bureau Force/Shooting Response Team handles administrative review when no one is struck, while injury and fatal shootings trigger a homicide investigation. The department also says the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Justice System Integrity Division responds to the scene and later evaluates whether the force was legally justified. The Office of the Inspector General sends a representative to provide independent oversight, according to the Sheriff’s Department. SGV CityWatch, citing a sheriff’s statement, reported that Internal Affairs also is involved in the broader review process and that the shooting will be examined by the Sheriff’s Executive Force Review Committee and other internal panels. ### What information has not been released? Authorities had not released the man’s name, age or city of residence in the initial public statements. The department also had not said whether body-camera or other video exists, whether any 911 audio will be released, or how long deputies were on scene before the shooting. The Sheriff’s Department says deputy-involved shooting cases can evolve as investigators collect witness interviews, video and forensic evidence. Public disclosures on its transparency page typically expand after the initial investigation advances. Thursday’s next steps are the Homicide Bureau investigation, district attorney review and oversight by the inspector general, according to the Sheriff’s Department.