2 Deputies Shoot, Kill Ax-Wielding Man in Carson

Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed an ax-wielding man Monday night in a Carson garage, authorities said.

Deputies shot Brian Keith Miller, 42, after he was ordered to put down the ax, said Sgt. Paul Patterson.

“He refused, saying he wanted them to shoot him,” Patterson said Tuesday.

About 7:30 p.m. Monday, the deputies, whose names are being withheld pending an investigation, responded to a call in the 22700 block of Nicolle Avenue that two brothers were involved in a knife fight.

Deputies heard moaning in a partially open garage, Patterson said. One deputy crawled under the door, which was blocked by a car.

Inside, Miller was holding an ax.

The other deputy entered the garage from a back door. Both deputies repeatedly ordered him to release the ax, Patterson said. “Then [Miller] raised the ax and began to advance toward the deputy standing near the door,” he said.

Fearing for their safety, both deputies shot at Miller, Patterson said.

Miller was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he died, said county coroner’s spokesman Craig Harvey. An autopsy will be conducted this week, he said.

On Tuesday, Miller’s family members gathered outside the single-story home he shared with his mother. His sister said the family did not want to comment on Miller’s death, saying only that her brother was unemployed and that the family doesn’t hold the deputies responsible for his death. She declined to be identified.

Sheriff’s officials would not discuss the methods deputies used in dealing with him before using their guns.

“There’s no written protocol and we won’t talk about procedure because it’s under investigation,” Patterson said.

A neighbor across the street said she heard shots coming from Miller’s house Monday night. “I was here playing cards and I thought it was fireworks,” said Erlinda Banania, 57.

Banania said Miller often worked on cars in his driveway and was a helpful neighbor. “He watches the house for us when my daughter works late,” she said.

Banania said that on Sunday Miller helped her open a kitchen window when she was locked out of her house. “He wasn’t a troublemaker,” she said.