Man fatally shot by LA deputies kept holding gun

Over the last two years, the Los Angeles Police Department has dealt with several controversial shootings by officers, including one involving an unarmed homeless man on skid row that was also captured on video.

At 10:53 a.m. Saturday, authorities received the first of six 911 calls regarding a man in the area of Long Beach Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue, sheriff’s Capt. Steven Katz said at a news conference. Police report that they commanded Nicholas to drop his gun, and said Robertson did not drop his gun.

The deputies moved in closer as Robertson walked away, shouting at him to drop his gun, according to sheriff’s officials.

Police say a California man was brandishing a gun at cops and civilians before officers mortally shot him-but relatives are asking why he was sprayed with bullets as he tried to crawl away.

Seth Stoughton, a criminal law professor at the University of SC, said there are circumstances in which officers could shoot a man walking away from them, and the fact that Robertson was armed will play in their favor.

“When they shot him within the shoulder and I see him falling … that is injustice, for me”, Robertson’s mom-in-regulation Pamela Brown advised KTLA.

“We do not have any evidence that indicates a round was sacked at deputies at this time”, Katz said. One of the deputies fired 17 rounds and the second deputy fired 16, officials said at the news conference, which adds up to a total of 33 bullets.

A loaded.45-caliber handgun was recovered from the scene, LASD said.

Despite authorities’ claims, Robertson’s family was critical, saying that it’s possible Robertson never heard the deputies’ instructions.

The two deputies that shot Robertson have been removed from field duty for the investigation.

Witnesses told authorities that Robertson reportedly fired six to seven rounds and briefly went into a vehicle wash and a pizza parlor before deputies arrived.

Warning: The below video of the Robertson shooting is graphic and might be disturbing to some viewers.

The incident comes amid increasing public scrutiny over police-involved shootings both in the Los Angeles area and nationwide. He admitted there will always be criticism when the police or deputies are involved in a shooting, but said the department would be as transparent as possible.

“He’s handling the gun in an odd sort of way”, Katz said while sharing footage of Robertson’s final moments.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has identified the man shot by sheriff’s deputies as Nicholas Robertson, 28, of Lynwood. That’s when the deputies shot and killed him. He said Robertson might have had some type of “domestic discord” with his spouse that prompted his actions but did not provide details.

In releasing the footage, Sheriff Jim McDonnell cautioned that the investigation into the shooting was still in its early stages.

He said: ‘If the deputies reasonably believe the suspect with a firearm presents a danger by walking toward a gas station with vehicles and bystanders, they would be justified in using deadly force. Steve Katz of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said that investigators had “evidence that he [Robertson] did discharge the gun”.