Fernando Cortez, 21

April 12, 2008, 6:05 p.m.

Fernando Cortez, 21, a Latino man, was killed in a deputy-involved shooting in the 1500 block of East 92nd Street in Florence about 5:55 p.m. Saturday, April 12.

According to Deputy Oscar Butao of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, gang enforcement deputies from the sheriff's Century station were at a stop light across from the Ranchito Market when they were approached by someone who said that a man inside the store was armed with a gun.

The deputies later detained Cortez and were searching him when he allegedly pulled a handgun out of his pocket. Butao said the deputies reported that they feared for their lives and fired several shots at Cortez. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at 6:05 p.m.

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Six reader comments

syscom3 First of all, why comment on something when you don't know the story. First, the store where he was at was HIS store HIS families store and didn't go in randomly like other idiots do to steal. He had a gun to protect from idiots that go in and steal money as they have in the past. Of course the police is going to say that they feared for their lives because they knew they had made a terrible mistake. Just to let you know the sherriff that killed him, his partner actually came back to talk to his mom which is my aunt to say that what his partner did was STUPID. Yes they are here to protect and to serve but just because they have the right to carry a gun doesn't mean they have to always use it. This isn't the first time this sherriff has shot and killed somebody God only knows how many he has taken down. But hey it's too late to bring him back, he took a father from two beautiful kids and now they are alone. I hope he can live with it and not have nightmares. You might be one of those people that always think that the supposedly good people are always right, when in fact they are the evil ones. But syscom3 that is your opinion and I can't take it from you. I just want him to watch over his kids and R.I.P We will always have him in our hearts.

— Temper March 5, 2010 at 10:28 a.m.