09/14/2026
KTLA 5 News - The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has released more information surrounding a house fire and subsequent officer-involved shooting in El Monte that occurred Sunday evening, an incident one local resident called “shocking.”
The fire was reported at 6:57 p.m., L.A. County Fire Department Capt. Aaron Katon told KTLA on Sunday night.
Firefighters arrived at the scene, the 5100 block of Elrovia Avenue, within minutes, but officers with the El Monte Police Department arrived first and encountered “a man sitting outside in a lawn chair with multiple firearms.”
In an update issued early Monday morning, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, who is handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, said that information relayed to dispatch by the initial caller indicated a man had “lit a house on fire and was armed with a r***e.”
“A brief standoff occurred between the male and the officers,” LASD said Monday. “During the standoff officers attempted to deescalate the situation and negotiate with the male to have him surrender the r***e. Officers also utilized less lethal weapons on the male during the standoff.”
According to deputies, the man refused to comply with orders and pointed the r***e directly at El Monte police officers, and that’s when the officer-involved shooting occurred.
The man was struck by gunfire and fell to the ground, LASD said. Officers and responding paramedics rendered aid to him and he was transported to a hospital. The sheriff’s department said Monday morning that he was listed in critical condition.
He has not been identified by name.
there,” she added. “It’s just sad how everything happened.”
The area surrounding the home on Elrovia Street remained closed off Monday morning.
The sheriff’s department’s Homicide Bureau and the El Monte Police Department are handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, along with officials with LASD’s Arson Explosives Detail.
Anyone with information surrounding the shooting and/or fire is encouraged to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau by calling 323-890-5500.
To submit a tip anonymously, call Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit
