Man is fatally shot by sheriff’s deputy in Palmdale

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a suspect early Sunday after a confrontation outside a fast-food restaurant in Palmdale, according to a Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman.

The shooting occurred about 3 a.m. outside a Taco Bell restaurant in the 37900 block of 47th Street East in Palmdale, said sheriff’s Deputy Crystal Hernandez.

The suspect, described only as a 39-year-old man from Altadena, was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, Hernandez said.

The incident began when employees at the restaurant reported to the Sheriff’s Department that a vehicle had crashed into the restaurant near the drive-through, and that the driver appeared to be unconscious, authorities said.

When deputies attempted to arrest the driver of the vehicle on suspicion of driving under the influence, he began to fight with a deputy, according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.

At some point the suspect grabbed a deputy’s weapon, according to the statement. Despite a struggle, the suspect refused to let go of the weapon as the deputy attempted to take back his gun.

Fearing the suspect was a threat, one deputy shot the man, Hernandez said. The deputies who responded sustained cuts, bruises and abrasions in the altercation.

During the course of their investigation, sheriff’s detectives recovered a blue-steel pistol and a large baggie of marijuana inside the suspect’s vehicle, Hernandez said.

Follow @bposton on Twitter