Man Shot by Sheriff’s Deputy

An East Los Angeles man was shot at his home by a sheriff’s deputy Thursday after the man destroyed family property and lunged at deputies with two butcher knives, authorities said.

Albert Rodriguez, 46, was shot about 10:55 a.m. after the deputies unsuccessfully tried for about half an hour to convince him to drop two knives with 8- to 10-inch blades, said Sheriff’s Deputy Britta Tubbs. After the first deputy fired two ineffective “stun-bag” rounds, the second officer fired three shots from his handgun, Tubbs said.

Rodriguez, who was wounded in the torso, was taken to County-USC Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

Authorities said deputies were called to the house in the 1200 block of La Verne Avenue after a neighbor reported a family disturbance. Officers found the house and family car severely damaged, including bathroom fixtures removed from the walls, broken locks and broken electronic equipment, Tubbs said.

“It apparently started with a verbal argument between the suspect and his 84-year-old father and escalated from there,” Tubbs said.