A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a man at a Valencia mall in January was attacked by the man before opening fire despite her attempts to de-escalate the situation, body-worn camera footage shows.
On Jan. 11, a deputy responded to a reported trespasser at the Westfield Valencia Town Center mall.
When she arrived, the man, who appears to be homeless, acted aggressively, pushing and striking the deputy when she tells him to back away from her, the video shows.
After the deputy warned multiple times that she would open fire, the man, later identified as 50-year-old Christopher Lee Mercurio, tells her to shoot and appears to charge again, prompting two gunshots.
The man then walks away, where officials say he collapsed. He later succumbed to his injuries.
The deputy remains under investigation due to the shooting.
