Deputies were initially in the area for an eviction before a nearby customer alerted them to an unrelated possible theft, authorities said.
CLAREMONT, Calif. — Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were carrying out a planned eviction Monday when a report of a possible theft at a neighboring gas station drew them into a separate confrontation that ended with deputies fatally shooting a man authorities said was armed with a knife.
The sequence highlights how an unrelated report redirected deputies from their original assignment shortly before the shooting. The encounter occurred about 9:40 a.m. Sept. 21 in the 800 block of South Indian Hill Boulevard, close to the Claremont-Pomona border and the 10 Freeway.
The Sheriff’s Department said deputies had been conducting a pre-planned, court-related eviction in the area when a person nearby told them about a possible theft at the gas station. Deputies then approached the business on foot to investigate that report.
Authorities said a man ran from the store and charged toward the deputies with a knife. Deputies fired, striking him. The man died at the scene, and no deputies were injured, according to the department.
Investigators recovered what sheriff’s officials described as a large kitchen knife. Aerial news footage also showed a knife on the ground at the scene. The department had not publicly identified the man by Tuesday morning. Officials described him only as a man believed to be in his 30s or 40s.
It also remained unclear whether investigators had established that a theft had occurred. Authorities had not announced what, if anything, was allegedly taken from the gas station or provided details about the person who first approached deputies with the report.
The department had not released the names of the deputies involved or said how many deputies fired their weapons. Officials also had not released body-camera footage, the number of rounds fired or a detailed account of the man’s movements immediately before the shooting. Those questions are expected to be examined as investigators review evidence from the scene.
Under the Sheriff’s Department’s published procedures, its Homicide Bureau conducts the criminal investigation when someone is struck in a deputy-involved shooting. The department says investigators typically review witness interviews, available video and forensic evidence before producing a fuller account of what happened.
Deputy-involved shootings also receive outside review. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Justice System Integrity Division evaluates evidence after the initial criminal investigation to determine whether deputies’ actions complied with criminal law. The Office of Inspector General provides independent oversight, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
In fatal cases, the Los Angeles County medical examiner conducts a separate investigation that can include an autopsy and other examinations. Officials had not announced the man’s identity or released a medical examiner finding as of Tuesday.
The Sheriff’s Department cautions in its published shooting-review information that initial accounts can change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed. The Claremont investigation remained open, with major questions about the reported theft and the precise circumstances of the shooting still unresolved.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.