One man is dead, two people were detained, and a wounded deputy is recovering at a hospital after an altercation in East Los Angeles ended in gunfire late Monday night.
Two deputies were in the 3600 block of Meisner Street about 11:30 p.m. when they spotted a suspicious vehicle and stopped to investigate, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said during a Tuesday morning news conference.
An armed man exited from the rear of the vehicle when the deputy approached, and an altercation ensued, McDonnell said.
The suspect’s gun was fired at some point during the altercation, McDonnell said.
The deputy’s partner saw what was happening and came over to assist.
“At that time a deputy involved-shooting occurred,” McDonnell said.
The man involved in the fight with the deputy was struck at least once in the upper body and died at the scene, the Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release.
The deputy was struck in the right forearm and was transported to a local hospital.
The Sheriff’s Department did not say whether the deputy was struck by the suspect’s weapon or his partner’s.
A gun was recovered at the scene.
Nearby California Highway Patrol officers and East Los Angeles deputies responded to the shooting and transported the wounded deputy to a hospital.
The deputy, a training officer and 10-year veteran of the force, was “doing well” and remained stable after undergoing surgery, McDonnell said. “We’re optimistic about his chances for a full recovery,” he said.
The wounded deputy’s partner was described by Lt. Rodney Moore as a female trainee who had been with the department for about three years.
A man and a woman who were also in the vehicle remained at the scene and were detained without incident.
They were not involved in the altercation, McDonnell said.
“This is the third deputy-involved shooting in the last week,” McDonnell said.
Two deputies were shot last Wednesday in East Los Angeles. The other shooting occurred Monday afternoon in Compton.
The suspects were armed in all of the recent incidents, McDonnell said.
