An hours-long standoff in Sylmar came to an end Wednesday morning with a man being shot by authorities after a SWAT officer was stabbed with a sharp object, an official said.
The incident began about 7 p.m. Tuesday when officers responded to a call of a man with a mental illness in the 14700 block of Lakeside Street, said spokeswoman Meghan Aguilar with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Police located the man, who was armed with at least one knife, and he began to struggle with the officers, Aguilar said.
The officers used a Taser on the man, who Aguilar said was in his early 20s, but it was ineffective and he ran back into the residence.
SWAT officers and a psychologist were called to the scene about 10 p.m. to begin negotiations with the man who had barricaded himself inside the residence.
About 1:30 a.m., SWAT officers shot gas into the home and the man came out a short time later, Aguilar said.
Officers again tried to use a Taser and also shot the man with a beanbag round in order to subdue him, but it was ineffective, Aguilar said.
The man then approached one of the SWAT officers and cut him in the forearm with some type of sharp object, Aguilar said.
“At that time there was an officer involved shooting,” Aguilar said. “They really didn’t want this to end in a violent situation … The hope is always to end these type of situations peacefully.”
The man, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital in critical condition following the shooting and was in surgery, Aguilar said.
The officer was also taken to a hospital, but had been treated and released.
The shooting was under investigation, Aguilar said.
