BELLFLOWER, Calif. – Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were searching for street racers when they were flagged down by the victim of a felony assault in an unrelated crime. The victim reported being attacked and injured by a suspect using a garden claw as a weapon. Deputies located the perpetrator and subsequently became involved in a fatal shooting in the city of Bellflower early Thursday morning.
LASD deputies had been dispatched just after midnight to the intersection of Downey Avenue and Artesia Boulevard regarding a complaint of street racers, KTLA reported.
While deputies were in the area, they were approached by a person saying they had been stabbed by a suspect with a garden claw, LASD said in a press statement.
The victim was able to direct deputies to the male Hispanic suspect in his 30s.
As deputies attempted to detain the unnamed suspect, he fled southbound on foot. The pursuing deputies eventually caught up to the man in the 17400 block of Downey Avenue.
LASD said the suspect turned and advanced on the deputies while swinging the garden claw. The tool being used as a weapon was about 3 feet long and had spikes on the end of it, KTLA reported.
As a result of the violent attack, “a deputy-involved shooting occurred,” according to the sheriff’s department.
The suspect was struck multiple times in the upper torso and transported to a local hospital where he died.
Paramedics treated the stabbing victim at the scene, KTLA reported.
No deputies were injured during the attack.
The street racing incident was unrelated to the stabbing, investigators said.