Authorities released new details in the case regarding the man who threatened to shoot people at a Home Depot in Burbank before he was shot to death by police.
The man was identified by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office Tuesday as 47-year-old Ruben Ramos of Los Angeles was allegedly armed with a knife during the altercation last Saturday.
Ramos called the Burbank Police Department on May 27 and provided the communications center operator with the make and color of the vehicle he was in and the location in the parking lot. He told the operator that he was armed with a “25 Beretta,” and that he was going to shoot people.
“When the officers arrived, they located the man still seated in a vehicle,” he said.
According to police, Ramos and the responding officers “had a brief verbal exchange followed by the suspect’s aggressive actions, which precipitated an officer-involved shooting.”
The shooting occurred on May 27, at about 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Home Depot at 1200 Flower St., east of the Golden State (5) Freeway, BPD Sgt. Brent Fekety said.
Shortly after their arrival, police reported that Ramos then exited his vehicle, “took a shooting stance, held an object in his hand as if it were a handgun, and pointed it at the officers which precipitated an officer-involved shooting,” Fekety said.
A search of Ramos and his vehicle did not reveal a firearm. It was determined that the object he pointed at the officers was a knife.
Ramos was not immediately deemed deceased. “Officers immediately called for medical aid and paramedics took Ramos to Providence Holy Cross Trauma Center, where he died from his injuries,” Fekety said.
No officers or shoppers were injured during the shooting. Footage from the Citizen app showed that customers and staff from Home Depot were made to stay inside the store as police cleared the area and deemed the situation safe.
A police helicopter was also dispatched to patrol the scene.
Investigators continue to review body-worn camera footage, in-car camera footage and surveillance footage of the incident, Fekety said in a statement Wednesday.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Sunday that his office is investigating the shooting, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506, which requires a state prosecutor to investigate law enforcement shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian.
“Following notification by local authorities, DOJ’s California Police Shooting Investigation Team initiated an investigation in accordance with AB 1506 mandates. Upon completion of the investigation, it will be turned over to DOJ’s Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review,” Bonta’s office said.
— City News Service contributed to this report.
First published in the June 3 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
