Maria Morfin, 43, said her son, Angel Solorio, is listed in critical condition after he was shot twice in the back by a South Gate police officer around 8:47 p.m. Saturday.
Police claim Solorio and three other suspects were initially involved in a carjacking that ended in a stabbing at Montara Avenue in South Gate.
"During the carjacking, the victim was stabbed and pulled from his vehicle by a male Hispanic suspect," said Lt. Kimberly Unland of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
According to police, the suspects took off in the victim's car and led officers on a chase through Watts where they crashed and tried to flee on foot. That's when three officers opened fire, hitting Solorio in the back.
"Because of the earlier carjacking in which the victim was stabbed multiple times, the officers believed that the suspects were armed," LA County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau Sgt. Luis Nunez said. "One of the suspects fleeing from the suspect vehicle was seen armed with a handgun."
Morfin says her son was not armed at the time of the incident."They say he had a weapon, my son did not have a weapon," Morfin said.
Investigators say they have not recovered any firearms from the scene and are also trying to track down two suspects who got away.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the officer-involved shooting is ongoing.
