Deputy Shot Assailant, Police Say

An off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot and seriously wounded a man who attacked him with a screwdriver outside the deputy’s home early Thursday, Los Angeles police said.

Sergio Pantoja, 21, was in serious condition at Northridge Hospital Medical Center after he was shot several times by Bradley Brody, 29, at 12:30 a.m. in the 20800 block of Bassett Street in Canoga Park, Lt. Leslee Ackerman said.

Brody, who has been a deputy for six years, reportedly noticed a vehicle stopped in the middle of the street in front of his house and went outside, where he saw Pantoja breaking into a neighbor’s car, Ackerman said.

As his wife called police, Brody grabbed a pistol and confronted Pantoja. Identifying himself as a sheriff’s deputy, Brody tried to arrest Pantoja, who lunged at the officer with a screwdriver, Ackerman said.

Brody fired several shots which hit Pantoja, Ackerman said.

When he is released from the hospital, Pantoja will be arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, Ackerman said. Brody was not injured.