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Huntington Park officer's shooting of homeless man under investigation
The shooting of a homeless man by Huntington Park police happened in the 2400 block of East 57th Street.
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A Huntington Park police officer's fatal shooting on Thursday of a homeless man who reportedly was wielding a 5-foot-long pipe is being investigated by Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide detectives.
The shooting occurred at about 2 p.m. Thursday in the 2400 block of East 57th Street after Huntington Park officers responded to a call of a homeless man refusing to leave an area where a work crew was clearing railroad tracks, Sheriff's spokesperson Deputy Grace Medrano said in a prepared statement.
When the officers arrived on the scene, they encountered a 35- to 40-year-old man who had armed himself with rocks, Medrano said. The officers used a stun gun in an attempt to take the man into custody, but as one officer then attempted to handcuff him, the man picked up a 5-foot-long lead pipe, Medrano said.
"Fearing for his partner’s life, the second officer fired his duty weapon, striking the suspect," Medrano said.
The man was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, Medrano said. The man's identity has yet to be released, pending a determination and notification of next of kin by the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
No additional information was available.
It is standard policy for most police agencies in the county to have officer-involved shootings investigated by Sheriff's homicide detectives.
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Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's homicide bureau at 323-890-5500.
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