Deputy fatally shoots man who rammed patrol cars while fleeing in Palmdale

PALMDALE, Calif. (CNS) -- A man was fatally shot by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy in Palmdale after crashing into two patrol cars while fleeing the scene of an earlier domestic violence incident, authorities said Monday.

The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. Sunday in the 6900 block of Jack Rabbit Way, near 70th Street East, according to Deputy Tracy Koerner of the Sheriff's Information Bureau.

The deputies were following up on a domestic violence incident from earlier in the evening and attempted to make contact with a man seated inside a vehicle, Koerner said.

"The suspect attempted to flee the location and rammed two patrol vehicles several times,'' he said. "After ramming one of the deputy's vehicles, a deputy-involved shooting occurred.''

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The man died at the scene, Koerner said. His name was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

"It was later determined the suspect was not involved in the early domestic violence call,'' Koerner said.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting was asked to call the LASD's homicide bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.