A man who was walking on a Southern California freeway was shot and killed in a confrontation Sunday with a California Highway Patrol officer.
Investigators say a California Highway Patrol officer had responded to multiple reports of a man with a backpack and headphones walking across lanes of the 105 freeway in Lynwood around 3:30 p.m. near Wilmington Avenue.
According to the CHP, an officer confronted the man and attempted to talk him off the freeway. They said he did not comply.
A video posted on social media appeared to show what happened next. There was a scuffle and the officer took out his service weapon and fired the first of three rounds.
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"During the struggle, the pedestrian was able to access a taser he had in his possession, activated the weapon, and used the taser against the officer," CHP said in a statement Monday. "Following the pedestrian’s use of the weapon against the officer, and in fear for his safety, the officer fired his service weapon, striking the pedestrian."
All westbound lanes of the 105 Freeway in southern Los Angeles County were closed for hours Sunday after the shooting in the Willowbrook area.
The man was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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Details on what led up to the shooting were not immediately available. No officers were injured.
The state’s California police shooting investigation team from the state attorney general’s office said it will be investigating the shooting and will independently review the incident.
Aerial footage from NewsChopper4 captured a splatter of blood in the middle of the lanes and traffic significantly impacted on the westbound lanes. Several police units were seen responding to the incident.
It was not immediately clear whether the person was armed.
