Officers had responded to a reported assault near Third Street and Maclay Avenue before the deadly confrontation late Monday.
SAN FERNANDO, Calif. — San Fernando police fatally shot a man late Monday after officers responding to an assault call encountered him holding a shovel, authorities said. Police said the original caller reported that the man was attacking a woman.
Officers were dispatched around 11:45 p.m. Aug. 31 to the area of Third Street and Maclay Avenue for a reported assault with a deadly weapon, according to the San Fernando Police Department. The California Department of Justice said the officer-involved shooting occurred at about 11:55 p.m. and resulted in the death of one person.
Interim Police Chief Anthony Miranda said officers confronted the man after arriving at the scene and a shooting followed. Police have not released a detailed account of the moments immediately before officers fired, including what commands were given, how many officers discharged their weapons or how far the man was from the officers when the shooting occurred.
Police said the man was holding a shovel when officers encountered him. Authorities said the initial report involved a woman being attacked with the shovel. Additional reporting from police indicated that two other people were also being interviewed as victims in connection with the incident, though officials had not released details about what happened to them.
Officers performed CPR on the man after the shooting, but he was pronounced dead. His name had not been released Tuesday pending notification of his family. Authorities also had not released his age or other identifying information.
The condition of the woman identified in the original assault call remained unclear. Police had not said whether she or the two other people described as victims suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment. Officials also had not released information about the relationships, if any, among the people involved.
The California Department of Justice has opened an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting under Assembly Bill 1506. The state agency said its California Police Shooting Investigation Team began investigating after being notified of the incident.
Under the state review process, investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force. The Justice Department said that once its investigation is completed, the case will be turned over to its Special Prosecutions Section in the Criminal Law Division for an independent review.
Miranda said the circumstances leading to the shooting remain under investigation. Authorities had not announced whether police body-camera footage, surveillance video or other recordings of the confrontation would be released, and no additional findings about the shooting had been made public as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated September 1, 2026.