Deputy identified in shooting that killed spear-wielding man

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has identified the deputy who shot and killed a Maywood man, who had a makeshift spear, June 11. 

Eric Chinaerian, an East L.A. station deputy who has worked with the department since April 9, 2007,  fired the shots that killed Jesus Alfredo Duran Sr., according to a letter signed by Capt. Scott Johnson of the sheriff's Risk Management Bureau. 

Duran, a 31-year-old Latino and U.S. Army veteran, had barricaded himself in his parents' home in the 5200 block of Corona Avenue and refused to come out, Lt. Steve Jauch said. 

Duran's parents had moved out of the house a few weeks earlier and had been living in a hotel because of their son's increasing volatility, Jauch said. 

His sister, who lived out of town, went to the house with their parents on June 11 in the hopes coaxing Duran out of his room and "rectifying the situation" so they could move back into their home, Jauch said. 

Family members had to force their way into the house because the front door was barricaded, Jauch said. 

After unsuccessfully trying to get Duran to leave his room, the family called deputies about 2:30 p.m.

When the deputies tried to talk to Duran, he opened his door, brandishing a "long stick with a knife attached to one end," Jauch said. The deputies tried unsuccessfully to get Duran to drop the weapon by using a Taser twice, Jauch said. 

Duran never left his room with the spear, Jauch said, but he pointed the spear at the deputies, "and one deputy sheriff fired several rounds at the suspect."

Jauch said he couldn't go into detail about why Chinaerian opened fire on Duran, who hadn't left the room he was in.

"The D.A. will have to rule on whether this shooting was justifiable or not," Jauch said. "There are more factors involved, but it's better if I don't say any more."

Jauch said Duran was shot "multiple times" in the torso, but he wouldn't specify the exact number of shots while the case is still under investigation. 

The Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau investigates all shootings involving a deputy, and then turns those findings over to the sheriff, and the Los Angeles County district attorney's office to decide what, if any, actions are warranted. 

The department released the deputy's name and length of service in response to a Public Records Act request from The Times but it did not release any details about potential disciplinary action against the deputy. That information is considered a personnel matter and therefore exempt from the Public Records Act, Johnson said in his letter. 

Action taken by the district attorney's office is public, but decisions typically take at least six months to be finalized.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.