A man was shot and killed by police after officers arrived to find him actively stabbing his father inside a Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Officers from the West Valley Patrol Division responded around 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to a residence on Valerio Street after a call reporting a “male with mental illness” inside the home, the LAPD said.
Call notes indicated the man had been diagnosed with a mental illness and was behaving erratically toward his father inside the residence, according to the department.
The man, whose name has not been publicly released, was described on the LAPD’s X account as an adult son who had previously been violent toward members of his family.
When officers arrived, they met the man’s brother, who said he had gone to the house after their mother called, fearing for their father’s safety. The brother told police that the man had a history of violence toward their parents, including stabbing their father eight years earlier and assaulting their mother, according to the LAPD.
The department said the man had also been confined to a mental health institution for several years because of prior incidents.
After requesting additional units, officers entered the home and went to the father’s bedroom, where they found the man on top of his father on the bed, holding what appeared to be a knife, police said.
According to the LAPD, the man ignored officers’ commands and began stabbing his father. At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred. The man was struck by gunfire and taken into custody.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded, and both the man and his father were pronounced dead at the scene, the LAPD said.
Investigators recovered a pair of scissors and a kitchen knife, which were collected as evidence. No officers or other community members were injured.
The Robbery-Homicide Division is leading the homicide investigation, while the Force Investigation Division is handling the review of the officer-involved shooting.
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected with a certified crisis counselor.
