Deputy Kills Suspect After Man Attempts to Stab Him

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a Lancaster hit-and-run driving suspect after the man lunged at him with a butcher knife, authorities said Sunday.

Christian Wayne Gwinette, 21, died in the back yard of a house in the 500 block of Kettering Street, said Deputy Ron Weber. Witnesses told deputies that Gwinette had crashed his pickup truck into light poles at two locations before he abandoned the truck in a front yard and stumbled down the street, bleeding from a head wound.

A deputy who tried to stop Gwinette said the man ran from him, warning: “I’m going to get a gun. You’re going to have to kill me,” Weber said.

The deputy followed Gwinette to the Kettering Street house, where the man jumped on top of a covered spa and waved a 14-inch butcher knife at the deputy, Weber said. Gwinette ignored the deputy’s orders to drop the knife and instead lunged at the deputy, who fired three rounds, Weber said. Gwinette was struck in the upper body and died at the scene.

In a separate officer-involved shooting, a police officer shot and critically wounded a man in a South-Central Los Angeles apartment building after a scuffle over the officer’s gun, police said. Investigators said the man had caused a disturbance at the building and then fell asleep in a hall before a confrontation with officers.

Kevin Burghardt, 30, was shot about 4:20 a.m. and taken to Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital/Drew Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, said Detective Dale Heatherington. Two officers who were trying to handcuff Burghardt had struggled with him for several minutes, exchanging numerous blows, before Burghardt tried to pull one officer’s gun from his holster.

The officer regained control of his gun, Heatherington said, but feared that Burghardt was about to try to take the weapon again. The officer fired a shot at Burghardt, hitting him in the stomach.

Both officers were treated for numerous facial bruises, Heatherington said.

In another incident, Jose Castro, 34, was killed about 2:15 a.m. Sunday when someone inside a silver, full-sized pickup truck shot him in the chest as he stood outside a party in the 13000 block of Yukon Avenue in Hawthorne, said a Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman.