An armed standoff in El Monte ended in an officer-involved shooting after a man allegedly lit a house on fire and pointed a rifle at police, authorities said Monday.
The standoff began at approximately 6:50 p.m. Sunday, when officers from the El Monte Police Department responded to the 5100 block of Elrovia Avenue regarding a house-on-fire call. Information in the call stated a man had lit a house on fire and was armed with a rifle, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Upon arrival, officers located the man standing in the driveway armed with a rifle, said the LASD. The home was engulfed in flames, and the front lawn was smoldering, the sheriff’s department said. During the standoff, officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and negotiate to have him surrender the rifle. Officers also utilized less-lethal weapons on the suspect.
The unidentified man refused to comply and pointed the rifle directly at the officers, at which point an officer shot at the suspect, the department said. He was struck by gunfire and fell to the ground. Officers, along with responding paramedics from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, rendered medical aid.
The suspect was subsequently transported to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. His age was not immediately available. Firefighters extinguished the fire within the residence. No people were located inside the burnt residence, but a rifle and two handguns were found on the driveway, the sheriff’s department reported.
Investigators from the sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail responded to assist Homicide Bureau investigators with their investigation. No officers or other people were injured as a result of the incident, and there was no additional information available. The investigation remained ongoing.
Anyone with additional information was urged to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.