Police Wound Father After Dispute Ends in Alleged Threat to Shoot Sons

A Pacoima man who threatened to kill his two sons in a family dispute was shot and wounded by police as he charged out of a house with a rifle Friday night, police said.

William Smith, 31, was shot in the leg after he started running toward three Los Angeles police officers, said Officer Richard Delgerian. Smith was taken to County-USC Medical Center jail ward, where he was listed in good condition, he said.

Earlier in the day, Smith had called his mother-in-law from his house on the 9800 block of Amboy Street in an effort to find his estranged wife, Lt. William Hall said. When his mother-in-law refused to tell Smith where he could find his wife, Smith threatened to kill his sons, 10 and 15, Hall said.

Even though his sons were not in the house at the time, Smith fired two shots and told his mother-in-law he had just shot the boys, and said he would shoot the police if they came, Hall said.

The mother-in-law, whose identity was not released, called police, who surrounded the house and ordered Smith to surrender, Hall said.

Smith ran outside carrying a semiautomatic rifle and charged the three officers, who fired at him, Hall said.

After treatment of his wound, Smith was booked on suspicion of attempted murder.

Hall said Smith’s sons were across the street at a friend’s house when the shooting occurred.