A teenager died after she shot herself with an officer’s gun during a fight at a police station in the western US state of California, authorities reported on Monday.
The incident occurred Sunday evening after the teenager knocked on the front door of the City of Industry County Sheriff’s Station, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Los Angeles.
When on-duty officers opened the door, the minor “ran into the lobby, reached out and grabbed the deputy’s (sheriff’s) holstered firearm,” according to a statement from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
“A fight ensued between the agents and the minor who was armed with the delegate’s weapon. During the struggle, the minor suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the note said.
After attending to the emergency, paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Authorities did not release the teen’s identity or age, but said she was of Hispanic origin.
The case is under investigation, but authorities insist that “this is not an incident in which a delegate was shot.”
According to preliminary information, the incident arose from a call about a family argument that police had responded to shortly before.
Authorities released more details about that call Monday afternoon.
“The minor’s representative reported that she appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis,” they detailed.
“The delegates went to the scene, but the minor had already left.”
The police station and the house where the young woman was staying are almost two kilometers away.
Violent encounters between police and civilians are commonplace in the United States.
According to a count by The Washington Post, more than 1,100 people have been killed by police shootings in the past 12 months.
The debate over policing, like that over carrying and using guns, divides the United States.
According to official figures, shootings were the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States in 2020 and 2021.
Although polls show that public opinion supports stricter regulations, the powerful gun lobby and a traditional gun culture complicate action in Congress.
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