He was 51-year-old Ricky Jimenez, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
The deputy-involved shooting happened around 1:08 p.m. Sunday, June 5, in the 1800 block of West Avenue J, according to the Los Angles County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff’s officials have released little information on the circumstances surrounding the shooting. A news release by LASD simply states, “The armed male adult suspect was struck by deputy gunfire. The suspect was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced deceased. No deputies were injured.”
A news photographer at the scene told City News Service that the man was standing in a doorway to Tom’s Restaurant and refused to drop a knife. Instead, he allegedly pulled out a crossbow-type weapon from his backpack, prompting the shooting.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
UPDATED 6/7/22: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department today released more details on the circumstances surrounding the fatal deputy-involved shooting in Lancaster. According to LASD:
Lancaster deputy personnel responded to the 1800 block of West Avenue J in the city of Lancaster regarding a suicidal person with a knife call for service. Investigators learned Lancaster deputies encountered the armed suspect outside of the business. The suspect had a knife in hand and refused the deputies’ orders to drop the weapon. Less lethal weapons were deployed but had minimal effect. The suspect removed a pistol grip crossbow from his backpack and raised the crossbow at the direction of deputy personnel. A deputy involved shooting occurred. The male Hispanic suspect was struck by deputy gunfire. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased. A knife and pistol grip crossbow were recovered at the scene.
Read the full LASD news release here.
Pomona Rich says
big Rick was a good friend and his family are good people I wish he was still here with us and wish I could of been there to help. my he rip love you and will miss you.. there are non lethal ways it should of went dowb!!! [removed] I hope the officers that did this get investigated..
Bobby says
Was he married? Or ever been did they notify the wife
Ur comics says
First of all for all you inconsiderate ppl like you all who quote and stereo type ppl your whole life probably because you as a person cant look in the mirror at your self big rick was a good friend,brother, nephew,and especially a good son he had no [removed] problems only problems he had was ppl like you all trying to down great a good person at heart the police should of tazed him not shoot to kill cause that all Lancaster police seem to do these days you didnt have to gun him down and take his life away from family and friends why how can you live with yourselfs he was harmless to himself as well as to the public you took a hard working man and a honest person from us once again his back pack was closed so why you lie about that you protect and serve yourselfs not the public and sure not these streets i think you need to change your job line if i offended anyone by these remark this is my was meant for you as for you [removed] if you have nothing nice to say dont say [removed] at all have some respect and [removed] manners IN LOVING MEMORY BIG RICK BIG HOMIE REST IN HEAVEN
Sally says
Thank you Tim. I am a related to Ricky. You had to know the whole him. He wanted help. Cross bow was not even loaded. I don’t know why they didn’t call mental health to help and deescalate. He would not have hurt anyone but himself. That just wasn’t him.
Deputy-Involved says
Never bring a crossbow to a Glock fight…
Tim Scott says
Never call the cops unless you have a morbid interest in seeing someone die.
Sally says
Really? Is that all this was to you?
Fred says
Your turn now timmah!! Bring your tally sheet.
Keith Williams says
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
The crime is getting worse lately as the LEO’s hands are tied. Let them take out the trash like this and see the residents of our valley have a quality of life improvement.
Tim Scott says
Suicidal guy winds up dead…okay, I can see that as “winning a prize.”
The question remains about whether the cops did the right thing here. Was suicidal guy a threat to anyone other than himself? That’s not really clear.
When it comes to killing civilians, given what I have seen from our local badged thug crew, having their hands tied seems like a good idea…but your claim that said hands actually ARE tied seems pretty dubious when we are reading about yet another killing by the cops. They seem to be more intent on running up their score than worrying about tied hands.
SMH says
Unless someone has evidence that the statement: “The suspect removed a pistol grip crossbow from his backpack and raised the crossbow at the direction of deputy personnel. ” is a lie – then not only any police officer, but any other adult should be able to use deadly force to save their own life.
Kevlar vests don’t do well protecting against knives or presumably cross-bow bolts. Less than totally lethal methods (taser or pepper spray?) already had failed to work – as they frequently do. What other options were there? Run and let them kill another individual until “maybe someone should do something?” is achieved?
I think you need professional help to overcome your extreme antipathy toward our police.
Tim Scott says
The guy brought out the crossbow AFTER being confronted by deputies. Your claim that “anyone could use deadly force” at that point is false when the ‘anyone’ in question are the ones that instigated the confrontation in the first place and made no reasonable effort to de-escalate the situation safely without resorting to deadly force.
“I punched him in the face and then he attacked me so I had to defend myself and I shot him” is not how a self defense claim actually is intended to work.
As to your unsolicited off the cuff with no freaking knowledge whatsoever diagnosis doctor, I strongly suggest that you do not send me a bill.
SMH says
You might read the article again, Tim. The officers responded because an individual armed with a knife was in the entrance to a business. THAT individual loses their right to claim self defense because THEY were the initial provocateur of lethal violence. He subsequently escalated the situation and produced the crossbow after refusing to disarm and LTL failed.
You are and ever will be in a tiny minority of individuals who believe that criminals and insane should simply be allowed to have their way on whom ever they encounter in public because that fits your sense of justice. The majority wants police to keep them safe.
Tim Scott says
I’m curious…if you see a suicidal person standing in a doorway across the street do you feel like you are in ‘immanent danger’?
It is a relevant question because it matters here whether you are such a bonehead that you would walk up to them or not. If you are, then your position will make a whole lot more sense.
Sally says
Thank you Tim. I am a related to Ricky. You had to know the whole him. He wanted help. Cross bow was not even loaded. I don’t know why they didn’t call mental health to help and deescalate. He would not have hurt anyone but himself. That just wasn’t him.
Tim Scott says
Sorry for your loss Sally.
John says
Tim you are an idiot. How about supporting. The deputies who are out there day and night protecting us. Why don’t your pussy ass get off your ass an do something out this crime. Instead of talking shit
Dave Gray says
Thank you SMH for your logical, common-sense comment. Law enforcement are often put in imminent danger from suicidal individuals, never knowing if the suicidal person’s intent is merely to harm themself or take others with them. It is a no-win, damned if they do, damned if they don’t stressful situation for them, and they will usually face criticism no matter how the split-second deadly encounter resolves itself. While it is easy to resort to Monday morning quarterbacking in the comfort of one’s home after something tragic like this has occurred, people would be well advised to take a breath and think how they would react if confronted by an armed person with a knife and a crossbow pointed at them. Law enforcement is a dangerous, often thankless job, and it would be nice for a change if, instead of criticizing the deputies, commenters would say they are thankful that nobody else at that restaurant was injured or killed by the armed man who confronted and threatened the deputies. I’m sure that would be thanks enough for the law enforcement personnel who were involved.
Bobby says
Sally was not related to him. I mean member with Sally’s do for him in night time and I’m closer than what you think I was.
America's Most Curious & Furious says
What happened to bean bags? And I have rounds with rubber balls for my shotgun. They don’t use those kinetic tools anymore?
Not passing any judgments. Just curious.
Dave Gray says
You bring up a good questions. The answer is that law enforcement is trained to escalate to the level required to address the threat. You’e probably heard the saying “Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.” Both a knife and a crossbow are potentially deadly, and particularly at close range. When someone with both of those starts to advance toward the deputies, they are in imminent danger and deadly force, in other words the use of their firearms, are the appropriate response to stop that immediate threat to their lives. That is exactly what occurred. If time and space allowed for a lesser response from deputies, it may have resulted in a different outcome, but they are not required to put their own lives in jeopardy and sacrifice themselves to save a suicidal, armed individual bent on ending his own life.
PutMeInCoach says
I normally watch from the sidelines, but this time I have to step on the field. Tim, I can’t believe I’m agreeing with SMH on this one.
Being respectful to the decedent and his family, we should not be assuming that he was mentally impaired and just needed some counseling when the officer took justice into their own hands. Nor should we make the assumption that the decedent was a hardened criminal with mayhem on his mind as this encounter unfolded.
What I do know is that you do not point a weapon at a uniformed police officer. PERIOD. There is never a good outcome.
Around the nation in many similar instances to this one, a uniformed police officer has identified themself clearly before having to take an action. They drove up to the scene in a marked police vehicle, the officer wearing the uniform of their department and calling out to the person causing a disturbance. In this case it appears that the disturbing person was confronted by the officer, a close range weapon was seen by the officer, and less-than-lethal force use was attempted. For whatever reason, that LTL force was ineffective.
Why didn’t the LTL work? The reasons could be any in the encyclopedia of hindsight. Regardless, the disturbing person then drew a weapon that could be used from distance to maim or kill, and then pointed that weapon at a police officer. Sadly, that person lost his life. With respect to Mr. Jimenez’s family, I am sorry for your loss.
I also am sorry for that officer and his/her family. Police officers are human beings, and not the uniformed automatons that they are sometimes though of. Having had many law enforcement friends over the years, one of the last things an officer wants is to have to use force, deadly or otherwise.
Repeated investigations into the death, random anonymous voices both pro- and anti-law enforcement, and and endless strings of second-guessing are now that officer’s daily routine. Training be damned, that officer must now live every day with the knowledge that they have taken a person’s life.
Showing my age, even Robocop had feelings they couldn’t engineer away. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093870/)
Tim Scott says
Maybe. Or maybe he is in the locker room at the station saying “Wooooooo!!!! Nothin’ like a few weeks paid vaca!!! I’m gonna get me a teardrop tat! Too bad we can’t get them on our face like the gang bangers.” And your friends the ‘good’ cops, while I am sure they would disapprove if they happen to be there, are telling themselves “man if I ever need backup I want to get it so I’m not gonna say anything about this,” and then they are smoothing any conscience they have with “everyone is against us so the blue wall of silence is a good thing that has to be maintained.”
Some people you don’t have to engineer the feelings away, they just don’t have them, and such people are drawn to being cops.
America's Most Liking Your Post says
PutMeInCoach:
With the way you write, and the fairness and truth of your argument, why do you usually “watch from the sidelines”?
We need someone with your intellect and talent to be more active here please.
Tim Scott says
This I agree with.
America's Most Annoying & More Annoying says
We’ll have you thinking like a conservative yet, lol. Just kidding.
Tim Scott says
By all indications “thinking like a conservative” involves very little thinking, so don’t hold your breath.
Ref Sez You're Ejected on 2nd Personal Foul says
The crux of your proposition is “What I do know is that you do not point a weapon at a uniformed police officer. PERIOD. There is never a good outcome.”
If you cannot see the lame, insensitive, and morbid moral structure in that acceptance of that ‘status quo’ enforcement practice, I suggest you return your human being card to God at the central morality office immediately.
Clearly, they were there handling a suicidal person. It was right there in their call to action. We are a society that values life (or are we?), so diverse means and ways to achieve human dignity and life preservation should be honestly pursued. Development of specially trained arbiters in these special circumstances is a step in the right direction. If they displace gun toting officers and preserve life, well, that is the price we pay for sophisticated justice.
All you advocate for is the ‘easy’, traditional, and ultimately unsatisfactory solution: lead and gunpowder.
Obviously, there are millions who are victimized and who are frustrated by the moral deficit in enablers like yourself.
God help you.
Since you are a fan of video, here’s a clip from “Lethal Weapon” where someone tries to help a crazy ‘bad’ cop.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3zENAzTt7U)
Robert says
Post your address so that everyone that loves this man that had issues and needed mental and medical help can come to your house personally and show you some respect you scary lame duck!
Jo says
You are the trash that pollutes this valley. Kieth..people like you think your better than everyone well wait until you have dementia or something else like a horrible car accident happens to you and leaves you fucked up and you lose everything you might own or love. Loser