Gunman dead after shootout at L.A. County Sheriff’s station in Temple City
A man was found dead inside an SUV after exchanging gunfire with deputies Monday at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s station in Temple City, according to officials.
The 47-year-old man suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a gun battle in a parking lot outside the station in the 8800 block of Las Tunas Drive, said Capt. Steven Katz, who heads the sheriff’s homicide bureau. However, authorities could not say if he died from the self-inflicted gunshot or deputy gunfire.
The man, whose identity has not been released, entered the station about 7:25 a.m. to register as a sex offender, the captain said. When a deputy at the station discovered the man had a felony warrant for a sex crime, he requested help to take the man into custody, sheriff’s officials said.
As deputies approached the man, he ran to his SUV, got into the backseat and armed himself with a shotgun, the Sheriff’s Department said in a written statement.
He began firing at deputies and the station building, leading to a gun battle with deputies, Katz said. No deputies were injured.
Television footage showed members of a special weapons team in an armored vehicle approaching the SUV slowly, while a man’s boot could be seen in a shattered rear window of the SUV.
Shortly after 8 a.m., members of the special weapons team exited the armored vehicle and peered inside the SUV. Deputies also searched the vehicle for possible explosives because of the man’s “aggressive nature.”
A shotgun and handgun were found inside the SUV, Katz said. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, sheriff’s officials said.
Katz said shootings don’t usually happen at sheriff’s stations.
“It’s a rarity,” he said. “I think it highlights the danger that our deputies see every day … even at our house.”
Sheriff Jim McDonnell said law enforcement agencies are seeing an increase of assaults against officers.
“We see these all too frequently now,” he said.
The gun battle was one of three shootings involving Los Angeles-area officers in the last two days.
On Sunday, Huntington Beach police shot a man about 10:30 p.m. near Beacon Hill Lane and Lawn Haven Drive, the Daily Pilot reported. Officers were responding to a report of shots fired in the area, where they found a man and a woman. At some point, police shot the man, who suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
In Van Nuys, two people were arrested about 3 a.m. Monday after shots were fired at Los Angeles police officers near the intersection of Vanowen Street and Haskell Avenue, authorities said.
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UPDATES:
3:35 p.m.: This article was updated with sheriff’s officials saying the gunman had a felony warrant and that it is unclear if he died of the self-inflicted gunshot wound.
10:35 a.m.: This article was updated with new details about the shooting and gunman.
8:40 a.m.: This article was updated with a department spokeswoman confirming the gunman is dead.
8:25 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the shooting and deputies clearing the scene.
This article was originally published at 8:15 a.m.
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