LASD deputy shoots two suspects when 1 tried to stab the deputy and the other tried to take the gun

On November 12, 2021, at approximately 3:52 AM, East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station received a 9-1-1 call regarding a suspicious person at a gas station at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Simmons Avenue in Commerce. The caller reported a male was at the location lighting fires at the gas pumps.

A deputy, working a one-person patrol car, arrived within minutes and contacted Franklin Moran, a 25-year-old male, and Wendy Flores de Roque, a 40-year-old female. The couple were standing next to a parked Chevrolet Tahoe in the southwest corner of the gas station.

The deputy ordered Moran to walk to his patrol car and place his hands on the hood of his car. Moran did not comply; instead, he remained standing near the parked Tahoe and placed his hands on the top of his head. As the deputy approached Moran, Flores de Roque remained standing next to the open driver’s door of the Tahoe.

The deputy took hold of Moran’s hands, and Moran instantly spun around and grabbed onto the deputy’s holstered duty weapon with both hands. The deputy struggled to keep his gun in his holster as Moran attempted to remove it. As this was occurring, Flores de Roque retrieved a knife and attempted to stab the deputy. The deputy fell backward and landed on his back. Flores de Roque continued to swing the knife at the deputy, striking him once in the face, while Moran continued to attempt to remove the deputy’s duty weapon from the holster. The deputy retrieved his back-up gun from another pocket, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.

Moran and Flores de Roque were struck by gunfire. Additional deputies arrived at the scene and provided medical aid to both until the arrival of Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics, who continued lifesaving efforts. Paramedics pronounced Flores de Roque dead at the scene. Moran was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries and medically cleared for booking.

The deputy was transported to a nearby hospital where he underwent medical treatment for a laceration and traumatic injury to his face and was later released. There were no other persons injured during this incident. A folding knife, approximately 10 inches in length, was recovered at the scene.