Investigators Probe Fatal Shooting by Sheriff Deputies in Palmdale

The man threatened an off-duty policeman and grabbed a deputy's gun before he was shot by two officers, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said.

By Sharon Bernstein

| Sunday, Aug 5, 2012 | Updated 10:24 AM PDT

The man shot to death by Palmdale sheriff's deputies Friday night has been identified as Javier Ortiz, 31, of San Fernando.

An investigation was underway Sunday into Ortiz' death, authorities said.

Homicide detectives, along with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office and Sheriff’s internal affairs, are investigating the incident, which began with a call from local residents who said that a family member was acting violently, LASD Sgt. Diane Hecht said in a press release.

The man was not on site when deputies arrived, but soon after an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer said he and his fiancée has been assaulted by a someone who met his description and was wielding a metal pipe.

The deputies saw a man, later identified as Ortiz, in the middle of the street on Larkin Avenue near East Palmdale Blvd., Hecht said. After a chase and a struggle, he grabbed a gun from one of the deputies, Hecht said.

“During the fight the suspect gained control of one of the deputy's duty weapon, and pointed it at him,” Hecht wrote. “The deputy quickly pushed the suspect's hands upward and at that moment the suspect fired at least one shot into the air.”

At that point, she said, the deputy drew his backup weapon and shot Ortiz. His partner also fired multiple shots, and Ortiz died at the scene.