An armed barricaded man died in a bizarre fiery standoff Thursday at a San Gabriel home where he held law enforcement officers at bay for hours.
The San Gabriel Police Department responded to a family disturbance call at 12:28 p.m. on the 2000 block of Brighton Avenue where the man, armed with a firearm, may have assaulted a family member. The standoff forced the closure of nearby streets and the 10 Freeway, causing a miles-long backup.
The shirtless man, wearing a blue Dodgers hat and smoking a cigarette, fired his weapon and police officers. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department press release states that, "fearing for their safety," at least one officer shot at the suspect.
"There was a lot of police here, and helicopters," said neighbor Arlenen Casino, "They were saying, 'All of San Gabriel, stay inside.'"
Shortly after the shooting, the man barricaded himself inside the Brighton Avenue home. SWAT teams surrounded the home and police asked the public to avoid the area.
"Once we saw the SWAT cars coming in, we were like, 'OK this is not normal'" said Sara Koch, a neighbor of the area.
During the standoff between the man and officers and SWAT team, the home began to smolder at around 5 p.m. The man then jumped from the home with a weapon in his hand.
The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time.
Firefighters were still battling the blaze as the man began crawling under vehicles around the property, with a weapon in hand, until 6:30 p.m.
During the ordeal, the man ignited three structures on the property. At one point, the Special Enforcement Bureau deputies tried to force the man off the property with gas in order to force him to surrender.
The man exited the residence with a shot gun in hand at which time a shooting occurred.
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The man was shot at least once in the upper body and was medically treated by the SEB. He died at the scene.
The man's identity has yet to be confirmed as the investigation continues.
Family members were seen shaken and devastated by the ending of what apparently began as a family dispute.
