Man Wielding 12-inch Kitchen Knives Fatally Shot by Deputy, Says L.A. County Sheriff's Department

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy fatally shot a 40-year-old man on Sunday morning after he approached two deputies brandishing 12-inch kitchen knives, authorities said.

The sheriff's department said that two deputies from its Temple station responded to a reported burglary at the 900 block of Durfee Avenue in South El Monte at 9 a.m. on March 18.

When the deputies arrived, they saw a 40-year-old Hispanic man. When they attempted to find out whether he was involved in the reported burglary, the man "quickly walked away," the sheriff's department said in a news release.

Once the man had walked into the street, he suddenly stopped and headed back toward the deputies holding "large kitchen-type knives" in each hand, the department said. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Lieutenant John Corina said the deputies told the man to stop with their guns drawn, but he did not. One deputy opened fire.

The sheriff's department said that the man collapsed after being shot in the upper body; paramedics responded and pronounced him dead at the scene. Two 12-inch kitchen-type knives were recovered next to the body, authorities said.

When asked for information on the incident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department referred Newsweek to a news release. The man's identity has not yet been released.

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Homicide bureau detectives are investigating the incident. A number of agencies investigate when a "deputy-involved shooting" results in a death. The Los Angeles County District Attorney will determine whether the shooting was justified and whether legal charges will be filed.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department tweeted an advisory asking people to stay clear of the area.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Corina said that investigators did not think the man was involved in the incident the deputies were originally responding to. "We don't really know what his role in all this was," he told the paper.