CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LANCASTER

A suspected car thief who was being booked in a Los Angeles County sheriff’s station pulled a concealed handgun from his back brace early Monday and fired off two rounds before deputies subdued him, authorities said Wednesday.

Christopher Broussard, 43, of Lancaster had been taken into custody when the car he was driving was reported stolen. When deputies searched him at the scene, they discovered he was wearing a back brace. When Broussard complained that the search was hurting his back, he was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital for an examination, and cleared for booking, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

During his processing for suspected car theft and possession of a controlled substance, Broussard was ordered to remove clothing for a full search. As he was removing the back brace, he pulled a handgun from the front and fired two rounds. Both hit a wall of bullet-proof glass surrounding the booking area, authorities said.

Broussard then put the handgun down, but refused to move away from it. Deputies subdued him with a stun gun, authorities said.

Nobody was injured, and the incident is being investigated by internal affairs, the Sheriff’s Department said.

-- Monte Morin