The Antelope Valley Times

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UPDATED: Man shot dead by Lancaster deputies Saturday

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Carmen Cobian (in red) said her son, Christian Cobian, was shot and killed by deputies Saturday.

LANCASTER –Family members have identified the 26-year-old Hispanic man shot and killed by Lancaster deputies Saturday night as Christian Cobian.

“The detective told me it’s my son,” said mother, Carmen Cobian. “I don’t understand why they had to shoot him.”

Family members gathered in the alley near 10th Street West and Avenue J-4 Sunday to mourn Christian Cobian.

Carmen Cobian joined about 20 family members Sunday at the scene of the shooting to mourn her son. Family members said Christian Cobian lived within walking distance. They said he had rode a bicycle to the nearby Smoke Shop and was heading home when he encountered deputies.

Carmen Cobian said her son was not carrying a weapon and was most likely afraid, and that’s why he ran from deputies.

According to a Sheriff’s press report, the shooting occurred around 10:55 p.m., Saturday near 10th Street West and Avenue J-4 in Lancaster, where the man was riding a bicycle on the sidewalk.

The man ignored deputies’ commands to stop, dropped the bicycle, and fled, according to the Sheriff’s report.

Officials say deputies gave chase, and during the pursuit, the man reached toward his waistband, and that’s when the deputy-involved shooting occurred. No weapon was recovered and the man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Sheriff’s report. No deputies were injured during the incident.

The following is the press report on the deputy-involved shooting, released from the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau at 1:30 p.m. Sunday:

Homicide Bureau detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding a Deputy-Involved Shooting that occurred in Lancaster at approximately 10:55PM, Saturday, January 21, 2012.

Sheriff’s Homicide investigators have learned that Lancaster Sheriff’s Station deputies in a two-deputy patrol car attempted to contact a 26-year old male Hispanic adult near 10th Street West and Avenue J-4, Lancaster. The man was riding a bicycle without a headlight in a dimly lit area late Saturday night.

The suspect ignored the deputies’ commands to stop, dropped the bicycle, and ran into the rear of a nearby business.

The deputies chased the suspect for a short distance. During the pursuit, the suspect reached toward his waistband. Fearing for their safety, a Deputy-Involved Shooting occurred. The suspect was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. A search at the scene for a weapon was not successful.

The suspect was wanted for an Inglewood felony narcotics warrant that upon arrest, no bail amount would be permitted for his release. He was on probation for felony receiving stolen property and had three felony convictions on his record. He was an Inglewood gang member who had recently moved to Lancaster.

The name of the suspect will be determined by the Office of the Los Angeles County Coroner.

No deputies were injured.

A second man was initially detained at the scene, but was soon determined to not have any involvement in the incident and released.

Whenever a Deputy-Involved Shooting occurs involving Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, and it results in a fatality, multiple independent investigations immediately begin at the scene.

These include separate investigations by the Office of the Los Angeles District Attorney and the Los Angeles County Coroner, as well as investigations by Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau.

Attorneys with the Los Angeles Office of Independent Review also respond to the scene, and have full access to the facts known to the Sheriff’s Department throughout every phase of these investigations. Once concluded, every aspect of the shooting is reviewed by the Sheriff’s Executive Force Review Committee.

Updated at 6:10 p.m., Jan. 22, by M. Dilworth

43 comments for "UPDATED: Man shot dead by Lancaster deputies Saturday"

  1. The Mayor went on a spanish speaking radio show telling people that the guy that was killed was a gang member and had three strikes, and he was looking to life in prison, is this true?

    • With three felony conviction already on his record and a 4th one possibly coming its entirely possible. As far as being a gang member Ill take the departments word for it as they know who is a gang member and associates with them and who doesnt.

  2. I hope the sherrif that killed this man has trouble sleeping at night. Hes a killer and hes knows it. I’m sure hes remember christians last words “Dont shoot don’t shoot” I know many people in the apartments nearby witnessed this horrible CRIME. God bless the Cobian family.

  3. Criminal or not, the deceased did not have a flashing light on his back saying, “I have a warrant”. The LASD in Lancaster is just covering their backs. They had no clue of a criminal past. When they truly are informed that there is a felon harassing citizens, they have coffee with the felon and refuse to take him in, even when the felon beats up a minor child! The LASD in Lancaster is out of control!!!! If you call them that a felon is harassing you at your home they don’t even respond!

  4. I understand the need for the AV Times to run this story as it is news and controversial at that since no gun was found on this wanted gang member from inglewood. What I wish the AV Times would do is balance their news by reporting the good things that the police also do in our community. This publication seems to be more slanted on stories like the Logan incident, the girl on the bike and this incident, yet deputies working at the same Lancaster station just rescued an adult black father who was threatening to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge onto the 14 freeway. The Lancaster cops talked him out of jumping and showed their true compassion by getting him the help that he needed so that his children would one day be with their father again. That story was covered very well in other respected AV press publications, but not a mention in this news source. Maybe because this goes against the readership of the AV Times who seem to mostly hate the police and want to label them as all a bunch of trigger happy cops who are targeting the AV minority population. AV Times, If you want to be seen as a legitimate news source, you need to balance your cop stories with the good as well as the bad or controversial. I know you can do better than this!

    • its painfully obvious that this “newspaper” has an agenda! anything to go against law enforcement and support gang members.

  5. wowwwwwww….. Chris. sad to hear that the people we trust to pretect us has taken you from your family and friends. you are in a better place. funny how they accuse you of being from the wood when your not. My prayers are with you and your family. Chris smile from above. your in a better place. Screw that scumbag that took you away. their making you seem like a criminal and a bad person when your not.

    trust no athorities. taking lifes for no reason.

    my prayers are with you and your lovely family…. <3

  6. just because the sheriff said he reached for his waist band doesnt mean that is the case, the bottom line is the sheriff had no right to take this mans life nor did he even had the right to pull this man over.

    I know you can make this pointless argument about the fact that he didnt have a light on his bike and so there for it made the stop justifiable no one bothers to read the constitution or think maybe that law which gave the officer the excuse to pull this man over in order to make an arrest or to give this person a ticket to appear in a court house the city pays rent to use the land on I say it is wrong.

    so want no bail warrant that just mean he was on probabtion. anyone on probabtion has a no bail warrant. dont paint this man to be a killer on the run so fast.

    also having a stolen candy bar can be recieving stolen property a felony. drug charges big whoopy doo look in your medicine cabinet look at all your drug i bet you some of you folks even have opium in them..hmm take a sencond and think about that one and do some research on it ;)

    here are some facts: palmdale man [removed] in the back!!

    lancaster man shot unarmed pronounced dead dep. says he reached for his waistband and feared for his life.

    almost half of waistband shootings the person shot was unarmed.

    61% of those shot at by deputies were Latino, 29% black and 10% white. Even compared to Sheriff’s Department arrest rates, Latinos and blacks are overrepresented.

    how about rules of engagement dont shoot unless shot at first.

    • “61% of those shot at by deputies were Latino, 29% black and 10% white…..Latinos and blacks are overrepresented”

      Or, it could also mean that the majority of the problems really are caused by the Latinos and blacks.

      • Are you kidding? I have no problem with police officers doing what theyre trained to do. you Don’t run from the cops unless your guilty of something and thats the real truth. I live in the area and the “smoke shop” he was coming from sells all kinda of drugs so he probably had drugs in his system. He deserved every part of what happened. Don’t act like your tough or you suffer consequences. Plus he’s a gang member he doesn’t deserve the rights he has anyways. Who knows how many lives he has taken himself!

        • First off…The smoke shop that u are referring to does not sale drugs. I attend the college where the man was shot. I go to that smoke shop everyday to buy snacks on my breaks. Those people are honest black males who are not drug dealers but business men who are trying to earn a honest living. So whoever u are you can stop that lie right there. Those people work hard everyday and know everyone who comes there and show us respect when we come. you are probably one of the people who come there and smile in their face calling them drug dealers behind there backs. I am a honest college student that appreciate the fact they are there. You are a freaking liar and you know it.

        • FIRST OFF THAT SMOKE U R TALKING ABT IS A GREAT SMOKE SHOP, THERE WORKERS ARE EXCELLENT THERE R VERY NICE POLITE RESPECTFUL AND JUST SUM HONEST BLACK MEN TRYNA MAKE A LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY. ALSO THE SMOKE SHOP DONT SELL DRUGS AT ALL.. HAVE U BEEN IN THERE BEFORE. ALWAYS SMELLS GOOD ALWAYS CLEAN INSIDE . U JUST A HATER WHO THINKS EVERY SMOKE SHOP IS BAD. BUT I LIVE NEAR THE SMOKE SHOP AND I HEARD NOTHING BUT GD ABT THE.. KEEP DOING UR THANG “SMOKE SHOP’ A PROUD RESIDENT ……OH AND TO U IDIOTLOVER CUM IN SAY HI.. UR A TRUE IDOIT URSELF

    • A no bail warrant means he was on probation and anyone on probation has a no bail warrant? Where do people get this stuff from? They hand out no bail warrants for flight risks and serious crimes.

      And youre right a stolen candy bar can be considered a felony, but it depends on the circumstances of the case and the criminal history of the person being charged.

    • Maybe if these people wore pants that fit, they would not have the need to ‘reach for their waistband’ to pull them up! Deputies put their lives in danger everyday for our safety. I for one thank them!

  7. Looks like the A.V. is getting rid of its trash. They are never just nice boys on their way to church. They either pull guns on cops or gang members etc. There never just good people who are walking the streets. All the good people would do what the officers tell them to do.

    • As much as I am waiting for the investigation to be completed before I judge, and admit to a generally positive bias towards the Sheriff’s point of view, I have to call BS on your posting.

      There have been way too many cases of good people being harassed by Deputies in Lancaster of late to simply say that there is nothing wrong there. The attitude promoted by the political powers that be in Lancaster have made for an atmosphere of corruptability that is concerning, to say the least. The bonds of trust are being broken left and right by a ruling junta of Parris and Co. which is perceived as affecting the local Sheriff’s Deputies.

    • their is no need of your comment like that. no man is a good boy every man has their flaws. dont sit there and talk that way when you might be a criminal. why doesnt anyone listen to pigs because all they do is come up with excuses and kill innocent people.

  8. Yeah right laid back is what their not they just as heartless what makes these families not important Ace? are you a cop lover are just heartless you say some dumb crap!

  9. look the police are out of control in lancaster most live in la and hate being up here ,all have an attitude,no matter what lies they say they saw no weapon because there wasnt one ,but having been on ride alongs i know how they think it was their chance to gun someone down..they all live for the (hunt)the ywere in no danger although they pulled the feared for my life card ..standard practice for the cops now adays it dont matter if he was charles manson no gun means no threat and they have tasers and beanbags they didnt have to murder the young man ..and theyall wonder why they are hated so much and ppl really do kill them! iam all for law enforcement but this is murder plain and simple .

    • I agree because palmdale gunned down my son Darrell Logan on Oct 13th 20011 and he had no gun either I believe that the power they are given is beyond their own control. The sheriff don’t want us up here and how do you conduct a traffic stop on a bike get real, you even killing people in their own homes with little compassion what are they thinking are they afraid of people are is they just careless there are other options to use and of course he was afraid all the killings they have done up here go back into training officers!

  10. Wow another bicycle person targeted with no lights bcuz of racist [removed] cops ! Shot 8 times that’s over kill ! I was in a car all night tonight a whole bunch of ppl was riding bikes WHITE ppl and the cops didn’t stop them ! But if they r a differnt race you get us smh the cops r full of it and you ace take up for them so your dirty and rasict to. !

      • I Can spell believe that just because I’m not writing like this I’m uneducated you sound dumb ! Racist [removed] white people just because black and Mexicans are out here your’ll mad ! The white people in quartz hill ain’t even this bad and i Come out to lancaster and your mess with people so GET THE [removed] out of here with that do you here about a white person being hurt no only a Mexican then a black and now another Mexican person shaking my head

        • Your Mexican or black thts the only reason your sticking up for race. WERE ALL [removed] AMERICANS DO YOU NOT GET THAT? Idiots I swear! He deserved what happened to him plain and simple any way you look at it!

    • YOU are the reason YOUR race is seen as ignorant and ‘targeted’. SMH? This isn’t facebook. What grade did you decide to drop out of? Learn to spell you ignorant troll. Up until I read your post I did feel a LITTLE sympathy as I know how a lot of the cops in the AV are.. now I could care less that this gang banging thug lost his life.

      • DUMB [removed] I’m in college class of 09 from quartz hill high in a four year college so you should go with that I’ve been out here all my life and had to deal with uneducated white people just because I wrote a certain way DO NOT make me ignorant its just you racist [removed] WHITE people I have to deal with

        • Don’t lower yourself to the level of these uneducated and narrow minded individuals. Educated people of color – must continue to move forward and leave the lesser educated behind. Continue with your education and turn around and educate others of color – only with education can ALL people see and recongize racial ignornace.

        • Why don’t you just let his family mourn and let the investigation play out, instead of trying to turn it into another racial issue?

  11. 11pm on a Saturday night. Gang member riding bicycle without lighting runs from Deputies when stopped, then reaches into his waistband while being chased. Deputy opens fire.

    I grieve for the family’s loss, but I can also easily see how the deputy reacted to protect himself from a perceived threat.

    • I no longer take the Sherrif’s at their word, the family says that he did not belong to a gang, if he was a drug addict (like our Mayor) and missed court he would have a warrant for his arrest with no bail, the standard “he reach into his packet or waistband”, is like thier tried and true, “he was interfering with police”, they have put so many people in jail with that charge, one of reasons the Department of Justice is investigating them, This guy took 8 bullets in the back, not one or two to make him stop, but 8 bullets in the back, before we judge this guy that lost his life and has a mother with such a terrible lost, lets wait and see what the investigation turns up, but don’t take what the Sherrif departmet is putting out there to justify themselves and in the process make this man unimportant and his life of no value until the hole investigation is done. My deepest condolances to his mother, family and friends.

  13. Wow… Just WOW! Another biking incident with deputies?! Unlike the other young girl, seems like this man WAS a criminal… Still, I can’t help but wonder if there was ANY other way deputies could have stopped this man, rather than resort to killing him… I value and respect law enforcement, but this latest incident has me shaking my head…

    • That’s my question what are the other options? where you trained at McDonald’s STOP KILLING THE PEOPLE ITS NOT YOUR CALL