Man killed after pointing finger at LA deputies in Florence

FLORENCE, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was shot and killed by deputies in Florence after he pointed his finger at them, sheriff's officials said on Wednesday.

Deputies received a report of an armed robbery near the corner of 64th Street and Holmes Avenue around 4:30 a.m. Within seconds of their arrival, shots rang out.

Residents heard the gunfire, and moments later saw the results - a man dead on the sidewalk.

Authorities said the man matched the description of the robbery suspect they were looking for.

"The caller stated that the suspect who was committing the robbery had a black hooded sweatshirt and was wearing shorts. The caller also said that he saw that the suspect was armed with a black handgun," said Lt. Eddie Hernandez with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

The deputies said as soon as they pulled up, the suspect turned quickly and pointed at them like he had a gun - but it was just his finger.

"He took a shooting stance, something that you would see in a training film, where you place your hands outside in front of you and bring your two index fingers together, and that's when the deputies fired," Hernandez said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. No weapon was recovered.

Deputies from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Century Station were involved, authorities said. No deputies were injured in the incident. Officials said both deputies at the scene fired their weapons, but it was not known how many times they fired.

Investigators are looking for surveillance footage from the area that could provide more clues.

Holmes Avenue at Gage Avenue was shut down for the investigation.