Man Shot to Death by Deputies After Falling Asleep in His Truck Holding a Loaded Gun

A man who fell asleep at the wheel of his truck with a loaded gun in his hand was shot to death by sheriff’s deputies after he struggled with an officer over the weapon, authorities said.

The dead man was identified as Charles Allen King, 27, a film studio grip.

Deputy John Ashley said officers were responding early Wednesday morning to a report of a man passed out behind the wheel of a pickup truck that was stopped with the engine running in a traffic lane on Melrose Avenue near San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Investigators said that when a deputy tried to remove the .38-caliber pistol King was clutching in his right hand, King awoke, struggled with the officer and stepped on the accelerator.

As the truck shot forward, other officers, who had been ordering King to drop the gun, opened fire, Ashley said. King was hit several times by the gunfire as the truck crashed into a patrol car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.