Sheriff’s officials say officers tried negotiations and less-lethal weapons before an armed man allegedly pointed a rifle at them.
EL MONTE, CA — An armed man was critically wounded by El Monte police during a confrontation outside a burning home Sunday evening after officers tried to persuade him to surrender a rifle and used less-lethal weapons, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released additional details Monday about the unusual emergency response in the 5100 block of Elrovia Avenue. Investigators said the incident began about 6:50 p.m. Sept. 13 when officers were sent to a report of a house fire and were told a man had allegedly set the residence on fire while armed with a rifle.
When El Monte officers arrived, they found the home engulfed in flames and the front lawn smoldering, according to the Sheriff’s Department, which is assisting with the investigation. Authorities said the man was standing in the driveway with a rifle. Earlier reports from the scene described him as sitting outside the burning residence while armed with multiple firearms.
Police began what authorities described as a standoff and attempted to de-escalate the encounter. Officers negotiated with the man in an effort to have him surrender the rifle and also used less-lethal weapons, the Sheriff’s Department said. Authorities did not immediately specify what type of less-lethal devices were used or how long the negotiations continued.
The confrontation escalated when the man allegedly refused officers’ commands and pointed the rifle directly at them, according to sheriff’s investigators. An El Monte officer then fired, striking the man and causing him to fall to the ground. Authorities have not released the name of the officer who fired or said how many shots were discharged.
Police officers and Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics provided medical care before the man was taken to a hospital. The Sheriff’s Department said Monday that he was in critical condition. His name and age had not been released, and authorities did not provide additional information about the nature of his injuries.
The armed confrontation initially kept firefighters from approaching the burning residence. Fire crews were directed to remain down the street until police determined it was safe for them to move in. Once the scene was secured, firefighters entered the property and extinguished the blaze. No one was found inside the fire-damaged home, according to investigators.
Authorities said investigators recovered a rifle and two handguns from the driveway. Sheriff’s officials have not said who owned the firearms or whether investigators have determined how the house fire started. Although authorities said the initial call reported that the armed man had set the home on fire, that allegation remains part of the investigation and has not been established as a final finding.
No El Monte police officers, firefighters or other people were reported injured during the confrontation. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau is investigating the police shooting at the request of El Monte police, while investigators from the department’s Arson-Explosives Detail are assisting with the fire investigation.
The shooting and the circumstances surrounding the fire remain under investigation. Authorities had not announced any criminal charges or released additional information about the critically injured man as of Monday.
Author note: Last updated September 14, 2026.