Man wielding machetes shot and killed at California grocery store

An armed man with two machetes was shot and killed at an Albertsons grocery store in Southern California following a confrontation with deputies. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office reported that the male suspect, described as a 35 to 40-year-old white male, was found outside the store’s entrance in Lancaster with two machetes in his backpack.

Confrontation with deputies

Deputies responded to a disturbance call just before 9:30 a.m. When they attempted to engage with the man, he became agitated and brandished the machetes. The suspect then entered the store and disregarded multiple commands from deputies to drop the weapons. Despite the deputies' attempts to disarm him using less-lethal options, including Tasers, the man remained uncooperative.

Use of force

Witnesses stated that the deputies had used conversation and deployed Tasers in an effort to subdue the suspect. Subsequently, the man charged at the deputies, prompting three of them to open fire. The suspect was then taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Neither deputies nor bystanders were reported as injured during the incident. The man's identity is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

Previous incidents

Business owners in the vicinity revealed that the man had been seen in the area before. Additionally, authorities disclosed that the suspect had allegedly stabbed an employee at a nearby gas station earlier on the same day. The victim received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.