PALMDALE – A man allegedly driving under the influence was shot and wounded Tuesday in a deputy-involved shooting in Palmdale after he led officers on a short car chase and then reportedly attacked a deputy.
The shooting happened around 1:50 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, in the 1600 block of Avenue Q-10, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
According to the department, a deputy on patrol spotted a motorist driving “recklessly at a high rate of speed” in a light colored coupe.
“The deputy believed the person was driving under the influence and conducted a traffic stop to contact the driver who was the sole occupant of the vehicle…. The driver, a male Hispanic adult, yelled out profanities and drove away at a high rate of speed,” the sheriff’s news release states.
A vehicle pursuit then ensued. When the suspect’s vehicle stopped on Avenue Q-10, the driver allegedly got out “with a shiny object in his hand and, while refusing to comply with the deputy’s orders to surrender, he ran to the rear of the location,” the sheriff’s news release states.
The deputy tracked the driver on foot to the rear of a building, where the suspect allegedly picked up a stick, four to five feet in length, and turned towards the deputy with the stick raised above his head and the unknown object, which appeared to be a knife, in the other hand, according to the sheriff’s news release.
“He then charged at the deputy. For his safety, the deputy fired one round, striking the suspect in the mid torso area,” the sheriff’s news release states.
The man was treated at the scene and then taken to a hospital, where he was listed in fair condition, sheriff’s officials said.
The man’s name has not been released.
The deputy was not injured during the incident.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at(323-890-5500. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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