Authorities shot and took a man into custody after responding to what they described as an active shooter situation in the unincorporated Walnut Park area of Los Angeles County Monday morning.
The incident was reported in the 2500 block of Sale Place at about 4:05 a.m., according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department news release.
Authorities received reports of a gunman shooting from a neighborhood rooftop, but they were not able to locate the shooter. A little over an hour later, the Sheriff’s Department received another call about a man on the roof of a home, and gunshots were heard in the area as deputies responded. By the time deputies arrived, however, they received information about the man being seen running west on Sale Place.
Deputies surrounded the area and requested a helicopter to assist, when authorities got word that the man was back on a rooftop.
The helicopter spotted the suspect, who then allegedly started shooting at the helicopter and the deputies on the ground, authorities said.
“During that time, a deputy assisting with containment was involved in a deputy involved shooting as the suspect was firing his weapon while on the rooftop,” according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The man, described only as being in his late 20s, was shot in the lower torso and was eventually taken into custody. He was transported to a hospital and was listed in serious condition, officials said.
No deputies were injured during the incident.
Sky5 arrived on scene about 6:45 a.m. as a man was seen lying on his back on the roof of a home. His arms and legs were spread out as if he were injured or trying to surrender.
What appeared to be a gun could be seen in the front yard of the home. Officials later said a gun was recovered “in close proximity to where the suspect was taken into custody.”
Deputies used ladders to climb onto the roof, where they were seen tending to the man.
Down below, an armored law enforcement vehicle with several officers could also be seen in the street near the home.
“I never experienced anything like this before, here or anywhere else,” one neighbor told KTLA. “It was frightening to wake up with all kinds of police officers around your house, and with their guns being drawn.”
Another neighbor, Nely Alvarez, called the incident “shocking.”
“The helicopters were really close. Even the house was shaking,” she said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the shooting to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed and whether the shooting was justified.