The confrontation began after deputies working nearby were alerted to a possible theft at a gas station near the Claremont-Pomona border.
CLAREMONT, Calif. — Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a man Monday morning after authorities said he ran from a Claremont gas station and charged at deputies with a knife as they investigated a reported theft.
The shooting happened about 9:40 a.m. Sept. 21 in the 800 block of South Indian Hill Boulevard, near the Pomona border and just north of the 10 Freeway. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said deputies had been in the area for a planned eviction when someone reported a possible theft at a nearby gas station.
According to the department’s preliminary account, the deputies walked toward the gas station to investigate. Authorities said a man then came out of the business and charged at them while carrying a knife. Deputies opened fire, striking the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man had not been publicly identified as of Tuesday morning. ABC7 reported that sheriff’s officials described him as being in his 30s or 40s. Authorities had not released additional identifying information or said whether they had confirmed that a theft occurred before the shooting.
Sheriff’s officials said a large kitchen knife was recovered at the scene. Television footage from above the area also showed a knife on the ground near where the man was shot. No deputies were reported injured during the encounter.
Several details about the shooting remained unclear. Officials had not publicly disclosed how many deputies fired, how many shots were fired or the distance between the man and deputies when gunfire began. The department also had not released body-camera video or identified the deputies involved.
The initial account of the confrontation came from the Sheriff’s Department and remains subject to investigation. Investigators will examine available video, physical evidence and witness statements as they work to establish the sequence of events leading to the shooting.
The department says its Homicide Bureau handles criminal investigations of deputy-involved shootings in which a person is struck by gunfire. Such shootings also undergo additional administrative and outside review, including review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Justice System Integrity Division. Fatal shootings can also involve a parallel examination by the county medical examiner.
The department’s published procedures note that early descriptions of deputy-involved shootings can change as investigators interview witnesses, examine video and analyze forensic evidence. No final determination about the deputies’ use of force had been announced Tuesday.
The investigation remained ongoing, and authorities had not released the man’s name or announced additional findings about the reported theft or the moments immediately before deputies fired.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.