A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was stabbed seconds after arriving at a call about an armed man in a Lancaster parking lot on June 20. The incident ended with deputies fatally shooting the suspect, 23-year-old Robert Castro. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released body camera and surveillance footage of the encounter on Tuesday.
The incident began after a 911 caller reported a man wielding multiple knives in public. The caller described Castro as 'fighting with someone' while carrying a large knife and expressed concern after seeing him look toward a woman walking to a nearby bus stop. Surveillance video shows deputies arriving with emergency lights activated as Castro walked across the parking lot while still armed.
According to the sheriff's department, Castro suddenly changed direction before the first deputy's patrol vehicle had come to a stop. He rushed toward the deputy, pulled a knife, and stabbed him. The wounded deputy then drew his service weapon and opened fire. The deputy activated his body camera after firing his weapon, but the camera's pre-event recording feature captured the 60 seconds leading up to the stabbing without audio. A second deputy's body camera captured him arriving as the first deputy was being treated.