A 17-year-old African American male was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy in Palmdale, officials have confirmed.
The incident occured after a 911 call was made in response to loud music coming from a house party on the 38500 block of 10th Street East around 3:40 a.m.
In a statement from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department, when deputies arrived, they were suddenly attacked by an “aggressive” pit bull.
One of the deputies sustained multiple bite wounds.
The 17-year-old owner hooked the pitbull to its leash while deputies called for a sergeant, who responded and checked on the injured deputy.
The dog, however, was able to break free. It charged a second time at the deputies, who fired at the pitbull “while the dog owner simultaneously tried to jump onto the dog to stop it from attacking deputy personnel,” the memo stated.
The teen, who was shot in the chest, was rushed to an area hospital where he later died. His name has not yet been released.
Authorities said the pitbull was hit by the gunfire but survived the shooting, according to the Times.
One resident told KTLA that she watched the dog grow up, and told KTLA she’s never witnessed him being aggressive.
“The dog was not aggressive,” said Lolita Robinson. “I watched the dog grow up, that’s a puppy. It grew up around my grandkids. He’s not aggressive at all, so I’m not understanding why they’re saying he was aggressive and bit an officer.”
A news release from the Sheriff’s Department provided few details about the shooting, saying only that a male “suspect” died following a deputy-involved shooting. The sheriff’s statement did not detail any information about an offense the individual was suspected of committing, KTLA reports.
