Bellflower, CA - Man Fatally Shot by L.A. County Deputies During Welfare Check

Bellflower, CA (September 27, 2026) - A man and an elderly woman died Sunday after deputies opened fire during a welfare check at a Bellflower home, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies responded around 1 p.m. to a medical rescue call in the 9500 block of Maplewood Street, east of Lakewood Boulevard, the department said.

When deputies arrived, they looked through an open window and saw an unresponsive elderly woman covered in blood, according to the Sheriff's Department. Deputies entered the home to try to rescue her and render aid.

Inside, deputies encountered a man who armed himself with a handgun, the department said. A deputy-involved shooting followed.

Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel pronounced both the woman and the man dead at the scene. No deputies were injured.

The Sheriff's Homicide Bureau is investigating and is asking anyone with information to come forward.

This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.

What to Do After a Fatal Police Shooting in California

What does the department's account actually establish?

Right now, the public record is limited to the Sheriff's Department's own version of events: that deputies saw the woman through a window, entered to help her, and shot the man after he armed himself. None of that has been independently confirmed yet, and a family deserves more than one agency's account of what happened to their own relative.

Should family members give a statement to investigators?

Not without their own attorney present. Statements given early, before the family has seen any evidence, can be used in ways that don't serve their interests later.

Can the family request records on their own?

Yes, through a California Public Records Act request, though sheriff's departments can and often do withhold investigative material while a case is open. An attorney can push for records as they become releasable and preserve the right to challenge withholding that goes too far.

Does a civil claim have to wait for the criminal or administrative review to finish?

No. A civil claim against the county runs on its own timeline, separate from any internal review or district attorney decision on the deputies' conduct.

What's the filing deadline?

Under the California Government Claims Act, a formal claim against Los Angeles County must generally be filed within six months of the incident. For this shooting, that deadline falls on March 27, 2027. Missing it can permanently bar a family's right to sue.

Contact Our Los Angeles Civil Rights Attorneys

A family that loses someone this way is usually told very little, and what they are told comes from the same agency whose deputies fired the shots.

Our Los Angeles civil rights attorneys have secured a $25 million civil rights verdict and multiple seven-figure recoveries against government agencies on behalf of families in situations like this one.

Body camera footage, dispatch records, and the deputies' own statements are all easiest to obtain before they're lost or before official narratives harden, so time matters here too.

Anything you tell us stays confidential, and there's no cost or obligation to have that first conversation.

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Call (866) 836-6588 to Speak With a Civil Rights Attorney

If you're the man's family and you have questions no one in a uniform has answered yet, we're here to listen, on your schedule, and to help you find out what really happened.

Legal Disclaimer

This page is attorney advertising and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Incident information is based on publicly available reports and may change as the investigation continues. The Law Offices of Christian Contreras is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any law enforcement or emergency response agency. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and no outcome is promised or implied.