Man accused of firing on L.A. County sheriff’s deputies records standoff live on Facebook
A man accused of shooting at Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in a Covina neighborhood recorded the standoff live on Facebook on Sunday.
Sean Vasquez, 20, was arrested on suspicion of assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon about 1:15 p.m. after deputies were fired at and Vasquez barricaded himself in a home for several hours, the Sheriff’s Department said in a written statement.
Authorities said deputies responded to a call of a man firing at passing cars about 9:50 a.m. in the 16700 block of East Cypress Street. When deputies arrived, they were fired at and a patrol cruiser was struck, according to the Sheriff’s Department. The deputies were not injured.
Vasquez ran away and barricaded himself at a nearby residence in the 4600 block of Roxburgh Avenue, deputies said. During the standoff with deputies, Vasquez talked with sheriff’s officials and a crisis negotiating team.
He eventually surrendered to members of sheriff’s SWAT team and was taken into custody.
Details later emerged that Vasquez was live streaming videos on his Facebook account of the confrontation with deputies. Although the Facebook account appeared to have been removed Monday, local television news captured portions of the videos.
The video shows Vasquez saying, “I’m gone,” as he made the sign of the cross. With the camera towards him, Vasquez appeared to be talking to another man as he walked around the outside of a home. Sirens could be heard in the background.
“They know where I am at,” he said.
The video shows Vasquez raising his arm and firing at deputies as they gave commands over a loudspeaker. In the video, Vasquez then cocks his gun, says, “Sorry, guys,” and fires another shot.
A third shot could be heard as deputies yelled, “Let me see your hands.”
At one point, Vasquez appeared in the video to be loading or checking his ammunition before he fired off two more rounds at deputies.
Then Vasquez ran into a home and crouched inside.
Still recording himself, he says in the video, “I just got in a shootout with a cop.”
Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA
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