A man who allegedly brandished a gun after being caught shoplifting at a Target store in El Monte was shot and killed by police following a pursuit Monday night.
El Monte police officers were responding to a theft call and possible disturbance at the Target store in the 3600 block of Peck Road when the call was updated to a man brandishing a firearm at around 8:45 p.m.
The suspect had been at the store with a female earlier and was caught stealing, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Steven De Jong said. The two were asked to return the merchandise and leave the store.
“At some point, the male returned and was refused entry into the store at which point he brandished a firearm,” De Jong said.
The man fled in a vehicle that Target’s loss prevention team described to authorities. That vehicle was spotted leaving the parking lot and a brief pursuit ensued.
The chase, which De Jong said lasted only about a minute, ended when the dark-colored Chevy Malibu stopped on Valley Boulevard near Tyler Avenue.
“The driver of the vehicle exited and fled. Officers from the El Monte Police Department followed the suspect, at which point, on Tyler … an officer-involved shooting occurred,” De Jong said.
The suspect, identified only as a man in his 30s or 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There was a weapon recovered at the scene,” De Jong said.
A female passenger was detained after the pursuit.
No officers were injured in the incident.
