Man shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies during burglary call in South L.A.

A man was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies early Wednesday after he reached for a handgun inside a vehicle during a burglary investigation in South Los Angeles, authorities said.

Deputies were responding to a vehicle burglary call about 1:15 a.m. in the area of 91st Street and Compton Avenue when they spotted the car, with its trunk open, according to Deputy Guillermina Saldaña, a department spokeswoman.

As deputies inspected the car, they saw another vehicle with its brake lights on, parked in a nearby alley, she said in a written statement.

They believed the vehicle may have been involved in the burglary, Saldaña said. As they approached the vehicle and the driver, she said, the deputies could smell marijuana.

They asked the driver to exit the vehicle, but he refused, Saldaña said. As one of the deputies held the man’s arm to escort him out of the vehicle, he pulled away, she said.

The man reached for a handgun and pointed it at deputies, according to Saldaña.

That’s when deputies fired at the man, striking him in the torso, she said. No deputies were injured in the incident.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. His identity has not been released.

Police don’t know if the man was involved in the burglary, Saldaña said.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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UPDATES:

12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the shooting and burglary investigation.

This article was originally published at 5:40 a.m.