Retired L.A. County deputy wounded in shooting at his Redondo Beach home

An investigator searches for evidence at the home of a retired L.A. County sheriff's deputy who was shot Thursday morning while answering his door.

Jan. 4, 2018 4:30 PM PT

There was a knock at the door around midnight. Then bullets shot straight into the apartment.

Police said a retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was shot in the wrist and abdomen at his Redondo Beach apartment just before 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning as he peered out his window.

Someone at the retired lawman’s door asked for a person who doesn’t live at the address in the 500 block of Avenue G. The stranger fired at least three shots, then fled, police said.

The 75-year-old victim is recovering from surgery.

Friends and a neighbor identified the wounded man as Matthew Turner, a Navy veteran and member of the American Legion.

“I saw Matt covered in blood as they walked him down the stairs,” said Susan Margolese, who lives in an apartment several yards away and said she heard the shots.

“He is the nicest guy and would do anything for you,” she said.

The former lawman retired from the Sheriff’s Department in 1978, said agency spokeswoman Nicole Nishida.

Larry Futrell, an official at a local chapter of the American Legion, said Turner listed his occupation as “private investigator” when he joined the group in 1995. A LinkedIn profile for Matthew Turner describes him as an investigator.

Redondo Beach Police said in a statement there does not appear to be a link between the victim’s previous occupation as a sheriff’s deputy and the shooting.

At least two bullet-size holes could be seen in the door and window of the man’s apartment on Thursday.

Police say a suspect was seen running away down Avenue G toward Prospect Avenue. Both injuries to the retired lawman came from a single shot fired by the gunman.

“He never went inside,” said Redondo Beach Police Sgt. John Bruce. “Just shot and ran.”

Authorities described the suspect as a male in a hooded sweatshirt. The incident is still under investigation.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini

UPDATES:

4:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information about the victim.

11:20 a.m.: This article was updated with the age of the victim and comments from a Redondo Beach police spokesman.

10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with the year of the deputy’s retirement.

This article was originally published at 9:05 a.m.

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Maya Lau

Maya Lau is a former investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where she focused on rapid-response investigations into the chaos inside the USPS, problems with signature verification on ballots and challenges of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. In her prior beat covering the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, she led a team that produced a series revealing how the misconduct of hundreds of deputies had been hidden from judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys for decades, raising questions about whether some defendants received fair trials. She came from the Advocate, based in Baton Rouge, La., where she was the lead writer on a team that won an Investigative Reporters and Editors award for stories revealing the financial dealings of the long-serving warden of the notorious Angola Prison. She graduated from Vassar College.

Sarah Parvini

Sarah Parvini was a reporter at the Los Angeles Times from 2014 to 2024. She most recently covered the video game industry and previously wrote about California’s diverse communities, with a focus on the state’s shifting demographics. She was part of the team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, as well as a member of the investigative unit that uncovered scandals at USC’s medical school. The child of immigrants, she speaks fluent Persian and conversational Spanish.

Retired L.A. County deputy wounded in shooting at his Redondo Beach home

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