Man told LASD deputy to fire before he was shot, body cam video shows

New video shows LASD shooting of homeless man in Valencia

Newly-released LASD body camera video shows the moments leading up to a deadly shooting of Christopher Lee Mercurio in Santa Clarita's Valencia neighborhood back in January.

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Newly-released body camera video shows the moments leading up to a deadly deputy-involved shooting in Santa Clarita's Valencia neighborhood back in January.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspect shot dead at Valencia mall, deputy injured

The shooting happened Jan. 12 around 10:44 p.m. at the Westfield Valencia Town Center located in the 24000 block of Valencia Boulevard.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, sheriff's deputies responded to a store in the Westfield shopping mall after a security guard reported an "aggressive" trespasser. At the scene, deputies encountered the man and that's when a deputy was allegedly punched and repeatedly hit in the face, leading to the shooting of the suspect, later identified as 50-year-old Christopher Lee Mercurio.

Body cam video released of shooting outside Valencia mall

After the LASD deputy warned multiple times that she would open fire, the suspect, 50-year-old Christopher Lee Mercurio, tells her to shoot and appears to charge again, body cam video shows.

Security video shows the way Mercurio continued to move toward the deputy even as her warnings became urgent.

Mercurio died at a hospital.

The deputy was also taken to the hospital for treatment of head injuries and has since been released.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Santa Clarita Crime and Public Safety