A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy on Thursday shot and killed an 18-year-old Latino teen for allegedly looking toward the police officers and producing a handgun.  

Andres Guardado
(Photo : Twitter)

Victim Andres Guardado, who was working as a security guard at the autobody shop, was shot and killed on Thursday by a deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

His family is now seeking justice and questioned the circumstances of his death. 

According to a CNN News report, Guardado looked toward two sheriff's deputies and "produced a handgun."

Captain Kent Wegener of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau said law enforcers pursued Guardado and a deputy fired a shot - hitting the teen six times.

Steve Abarca, a cousin of Guardado, questioned the circumstances prior to the teen's death.

On Sunday, Guardado's family from El Salvador gathered outside the auto body shop, where the teen was working, and demanded justice.

Result of the Autopsy is Still Pending

While waiting for the result of the autopsy, Wegener said the Latino teen was hit in his upper torso and was already announced death at the crime scene. 

He also added that the investigators recovered a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol at the crime scene with no serial number.

It was also found that the firearm had an illegal extended magazine that was loaded with 13 live rounds. 

However, Steve Abarca said that he had never seen or knew that his cousin owned any gun. This adds up to the speculation of the family. 

Despite these circumstances, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Capt. Wegener questioned why the Latino teen was armed when the law in California qualifies that only those who are age 21 are allowed to become an armed security guard in the state.

Authorities Collected Evidence

As part of the investigation procedure, police were able to produce search warrants that will allow them to have access to the CCTV that might capture the shooting and killing of the Latino teen.

However, Wegener said that when the incident happened, there was no footage of the event. 

Meanwhile, detectives are still trying to figure out if there was a video footage during the shooting that will help resolve the case.

For his part, sheriff Alex Villanueva said this is why body-worn cameras are essential to the police.

He added that the County Sheriff's Department is now working to procure more body-worn cameras. 

The death of the Guardado has added sparked to the racial issue between the police and people of color.

This could be another subject of racial injustice in the country following the death of George Floyd. 

It can be remembered that U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that mandates reforms in law enforcement, especially in its standard police tactics. 

The death of black people outraged thousands of people in the past weeks that led to different violent protests across the country.  

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