EL MONTE — Police shot and wounded an unarmed man early Friday who was earlier seen running and screaming in the street, according to officials and witnesses.
The shooting was reported at 3:57 a.m. in the 3500 block of Cogswell Road.
El Monte Police referred all calls to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials who are handling the investigation.
“Officers with the El Monte Police Department responded to a man with a gun call,” Deputy Guillermina Saldana of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau said in a written statement issued Friday evening.
“When the officers arrived at the location, they saw a man that fit the description of the person described in the call,” she said. “As the officers contacted him, the suspect reached into his waistband and an officer-involved shooting occurred.
No weapon was found at the scene, Saldana said.
The wounded man, described by investigators as 34-years-old, was taken to a hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
The name of the wounded man was not released, nor were the identities of the involved officers.
Authorities Friday made no mention of potential criminal charges against the wounded man.
No officers were injured in the incident, officials said. Authorities did not say how many officers were involved in the shooting or how many shots were fired.
Neighbor Henry Ballesteros said his stepdaughter heard a commotion early that morning and called 9-1-1.
“My stepdaughter went to the porch, saw the guy running and screaming,” he said.
He pointed toward Ferris and Cosgwell roads where there is a stop sign. Ballesteros said the man started there then ran down Cogswell Road.
“He woke up people living there. A lot of people called 9-1-1. That’s how much noise he was making,” Ballesteros said.
Ballesteros said the man was seen running around the car port area of a blue apartment complex. One of the neighborhood kids told Ballesteros the man was seen earlier arguing with someone in a car.The man was heard addressing someone inside the car as Richard.
“My stepdaughter didn’t see anybody in the car,” Ballesteros said. The residents thought the man was either drunk or on drugs, he added.
The gunshots woke up several residents.
Ana Bustamante thought Fourth of July when she heard the sounds. From her door, she saw a lot of police and a man lying on the street.
“I saw the man right there,” Bustamante said and pointed to a spot on Cogswell Road where several blood stains were visible. “He said,’I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!’”
She didn’t recognize him.
Lou Jaramillo who lives at Ferris and Cogswell roads said he heard three gunshots.
“I’m a light sleeper. When I heard the first pop, my eyes opened up. I called my sister who lives in the house in front of me who said someone got shot,” Jaramillo said.
He hasn’t heard of a shooting in the neighborhood in the four years he’s lived there.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tipsters may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or text “TIPLA” plus the tip to 274637, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.