Nicholas Armando Burgos Jr., a 38-year-old Latino male, died on November 1, 2020, after being shot by law enforcement officers. The incident occurred near 1000 W. Carson St. in West Carson, California. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's records, Burgos was shot multiple times by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. The shooting took place inside Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where Burgos had been hospitalized following an earlier incident.
On October 6, 2020,
Burgos, who was reportedly experiencing a psychiatric episode, used a piece of steel medical equipment to shatter a fourth-floor hospital window. He then smashed his way into a room where an injured deputy was recovering. The confrontation began around 11 p.m. when two deputies from the South Los Angeles Station were guarding their injured colleague and heard loud banging and screams. Burgos, holding the steel object above his head, lunged at one of the deputies. Despite repeated commands to put the object down, Burgos continued to advance, leading the deputy to fire a total of nine shots, hitting Burgos seven times in the upper body.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department defended the deputy's actions, stating that she was about a second or two away from being struck in the head with the object wielded by Burgos. The deputy involved in the shooting was later relieved of duty. The incident prompted the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to direct the Office of the Inspector General to investigate the shooting and explore ways to restrict the presence of law enforcement officers in county hospitals.
As of now, there have been no arrests or charges filed against any individuals in connection with Burgos's death. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other authorities continuing to review the circumstances surrounding the incident. The case has raised questions about the use of force by law enforcement officers, particularly in situations involving individuals experiencing mental health crises.
