Sheriff's Deputy Shoots, Kills Suspected Gunman in Compton Who Pointed Gun at Him

COMPTON, CA -- A deputy shot and killed a gunman who pointed a gun at him at the end of a foot chase in Compton, but the gunman's weapon was not immediately found in a follow-up investigation, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported Friday.

No deputies were injured in the shooting, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the area of West Arbutus Street and North Kemp Avenue.

Two deputies encountered the suspect standing on the west sidewalk in the 400 block of Wilmington Avenue, said Deputy Lisa Jansen of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. When they tried to speak with him, the man produced a handgun and ran north on Wilmington Avenue, triggering a chase.

The deputies caught up with the suspect on Arbutus Street, near a wash, where he pointed a handgun at one of them, drawing fire from one deputy, she said. The gunman was pronounced dead at the scene.

A sheriff's department dog was brought out to assist in the search for the suspect's handgun in the wash and surrounding area, Jansen said.

Anyone with information on the incident was urged to contact the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or, to provide an anonymous tip, Crime Stoppers at 800 222-TIPS.

The shooting will be investigated by the sheriff's Homicide Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau, the Office of the Inspector General, and the District Attorney's Office.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock