South Gate police received a 911 call about a man and a woman fighting in the middle of the street in the 9200 block of San Luis Avenue at about 10 p.m. Saturday. Detectives later learned that the man was possibly armed with a handgun.
When officers arrived and tried to make contact with the male, police say he was uncooperative and failed to heed their directions. When officers tried to detain him, they said he took off running.
Authorities say he reached at his waistband several times as if to grab a weapon.
"He stopped suddenly, turned around and looked at the officers. They thought that he had armed himself and was about to shoot them, so they fired their duty weapons at them," said Sgt. Richard Pena of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Some neighbors said they heard as many as 10 shots.
"I got scared because I was watching TV when I heard the first gunshots, and my daughter was right there with us," said Rafael Velazco, a neighbor.
The man was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials have not released his name, but family members and friends who returned to the scene Sunday evening identified him as 24-year-old "Jimmy."
Investigators say a weapon was recovered from the suspect.
Residents say the suspect didn't live in the neighborhood and that he appeared to be a gang member.
The sheriff's homicide bureau and district attorney's office are investigating the deadly officer-involved shooting.
