A 28-year-old man who was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputies in East Los Angeles was identified today by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
The suspect was identified as Martin Sebastian.
According to the sheriff’s department, deputies were called at 9:20 p.m. March 16 to Gage and Eastman avenues in response to a report of a possibly armed person causing a disturbance.
The deputies made contact with the suspect, who produced what appeared to be a handgun, prompting deputies to open fire, according to the sheriff’s department.
Sebastian died at the scene, officials said.
According to the sheriff’s department, the firearm the suspect was holding turned out to be a replica weapon, and it was recovered at the scene.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting were under investigation.
“Investigators from the California Department of Justice responded to the scene and will be handling the investigation regarding the deputy-involved shooting,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “The California Department of Justice will provide any further updates regarding this incident.”
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or tips may be sent to lacrimesstoppers.org.