L.A. County deputy seriously injured while rescuing children held in bedroom by father
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was seriously injured Thursday morning while trying to detain a man armed with a knife who had barricaded himself in a bedroom with his two young children.
The deputy, whose identity was not released, was assaulted by the suspect and suffered “significant head trauma and injuries to his upper torso,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He was hospitalized in serious condition at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia.
Deputies had responded to a home in the 26700 block of Isabella Parkway in Canyon Country after a frantic woman reported she was assaulted by her husband, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The man had barricaded himself with his two children, ages 3 and 5, and blocked off the doorway with a dresser, sheriff’s officials said. Deputies persuaded the man to open his door, and he told them that “he wanted to die tonight.” He later dropped his knife, but would not open the door.
The deputies developed a plan to free the children and detain the man: While one deputy broke open a bedroom window, deputies inside the home forced their way through the bedroom’s door.
When deputies entered the bedroom, the man “immediately charged at them and attacked.”
The deputy was “assaulted” and “aggressively thrust into the wall,” seriously injuring him, sheriff’s officials said.
The man was detained and was also taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries but was later released for booking in the county jail. His identity has been withheld because of medical privacy laws. He was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, assault on a peace officer, cruelty to children and dissuading a victim, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The children were found to be unharmed and deputies safely rescued them.
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