Deputies shoot, kill man armed with replica gun in East LA, authorities say

EAST LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Deputies fatally shot a man who was allegedly armed with a replica firearm outside an East Los Angeles business, authorities said Sunday.

The chain of events started at 9:20 p.m. Saturday when deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department were summoned to the area of Gage and Eastman avenues and Pomeroy Street, where a man was reportedly harassing customers with a metal stick, Deputy Tracy Koerner told City News Service.

The deputies made contact with the suspect and shot him at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Koerner said.

The man died at the scene, and a replica firearm was recovered there as well, Koerner said.

The circumstances leading up to the shooting were under investigation.

"Investigators from the California Department of Justice responded to the scene and will be handling the investigation regarding the deputy- involved shooting," the sheriff's department said in a statement Sunday. "The California Department of Justice will provide any further updates regarding this incident."

Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or tips may be sent to lacrimesstoppers.org.