Police received a call that a man with a spear, Pettersen, was running wildly in and out of freeway traffic. Police first shot Pettersen after he struck a car with the "spear." Pettersen then approached them with a knife and police shot and killed him. Petersen, a veteran diagnosed with PTSD, was in his underwear and the "spear" turned out to be a hockey stick. In May 2014, Pettersen's son filed a civil rights lawsuit against Los Angeles County.
Victim's Name: Steven Burke Pettersen
Agency Responsible: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Gender: Male
Age: 47
Race: White
Date of Death: January 30, 2014
County: Los Angeles
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Pending investigation/No Known Charges
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Yes
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: spear
Geography: Suburban