Deputies Kill Man Who Used Baby 'As A Shield' In LA County Standoff

PARAMOUNT, CA — A man was shot and killed by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies after a standoff Thursday night. Deputies had been dispatched to the home following reports that the man was holding his 2-year-old son in one hand and a gun in the other.

Deputies responded before 10 p.m. to the 8000 block of Alhambra Avenue, near Paramount Boulevard, where they encountered the suspect with a baby nearby on the porch of his home, sheriff's Lt. Daniel Vizcarra said.

At some point during the confrontation, one or more deputies opened fire and struck the man. Authorities rendered aid to the man, who was transported to a local hospital. Deputies later confirmed he died from his injuries, KTLA reported.

Deputies were first dispatched to the scene from a caller who said her boyfriend was outside the home with a gun, KTLA reported.

Fox 11 reported that witnesses said the man was using the baby "as a shield," which the Sheriff's Department has not confirmed.

An LASD spokesperson told Patch that deputies arrived to find the man holding the child but did not have additional details.

KTLA reported that witnesses said the man was holding the baby in one arm while confronting authorities with a firearm.

Neither the baby, nor anyone other than the suspect, were injured in the incident, authorities said.

City News Service contributed to this report.