LA County Sheriff releases bodycam footage from fatal shooting in Valencia

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released the body camera footage from a fatal deputy shooting in Santa Clarita's Valencia neighborhood.

The deadly encounter happened late in the evening on Jan. 11. According to the department, the shooting stemmed from a trespassing call at a shopping center in the 24200 block of Valencia Boulevard in Santa Clarita. The caller claimed that the suspect was making threats against employees after they asked him to leave.

A single deputy arrived at the mall a little before 11 p.m. and contacted the suspect, 50-year-old Christopher Lee Mercurio. The department said the deputy tried to de-escalate the situation but Mercurio became more agitated. In the footage, Merdcurio began to curse and the deputy and made threats.

"I'm not going to move at all," said Mercurio. "I will kill every (expletive) that comes here."

He continued to tell the deputy that he was going to sleep at the shopping center as the deputy tried to calm him down. 

"You're either protecting the (unintelligible) or I'm going to (expletive) destroy your (expletive) human being," Mercurio responded. "Do you understand?"

He then threatened the deputy again while cursing. He then appeared to push the deputy. While some of the ensuing fight happened off-camera, LASD said Mercurio punched the officer in the face and head.

The footage captured the deputy radioing for help before creating some space between her and Mercurio. She then drew her handgun and pointed it at Mercurio. 

The deputy told the unarmed man that she was going to shoot him several times. Mercurio responded by saying "shoot," after which she fired one round. Seemingly unaffected by the first bullet, Mercurio continued to approach the deputy.  After about 5 seconds the officer shot once again. 

The video shows that just 15 seconds passed between the time that the deputy drew her firearm and shot Mercurio.

Another deputy arrived shortly after the shooting and began to tend to Mercurio's wounds until an ambulance arrived.

Paramedics rushed Mercurio to the hospital where he later died. The deputy that shot Mercurio was taken to the hospital too, where she received treatments for injuries sustained to her face and head.

The California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting because of a recently passed state law, AB 1506, which requires them to look into any law enforcement shooting that results in the death of an unarmed civilian.