LANCASTER, Calif. (KTLA) — Sheriff’s detectives investigating the shooting death of a man Saturday by deputies have not found the weapon the deputies thought the man was reaching for when they shot him.

The shooting happened around 10:55 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of 10th Street West and Avenue J-4.

Two deputies approached Christian Cobian, 26, because he did not have a light on his bicycle.

Cobian ignored the deputies’ commands to stop, abandoned his bicycle and began running.

The deputies chased Cobian for a short distance before he allegedly reached for his waistband. That’s when at least one of the deputies opened fire, hitting Cobian.

Paramedics pronounced Cobian dead at the scene.

No deputies were injured in the incident.

Sheriff’s officials said Cobian, a gang member in Inglewood, was wanted on a felony narcotics warrant.

He was on probation for receiving stolen property and had three previous felony convictions.

Cobian’s family says he was not looking for any trouble and had attended a family party earlier that night celebrating the baptism of his niece and nephew.

Relatives say they recently moved to Lancaster from Inglewood to get away from crime and gangs.

The shooting remains under investigation. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will determine if the shooting was justified.

Wrongful Death

The term “wrongful death” is defined as the death of an individual as a result of the negligence, carelessness, intentional act of another individual, corporation, company or entity.  Filing a proper wrongful death claim is extremely difficult and complex for families because they are not only dealing with their grief over the death of a beloved family member, but also complex issues of compensation as well.  Wrongful death claims are usually sought after by relatives, siblings, or members of the decedent’s estate who have lost a considerable amount of money as well as loss of support and grief due to the wrongful death of the decedent.

In most states, if the death of a relative or spouse was caused by the wrongful act of another, surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party or parties.  In order to file a wrongful death claim, you must be able to prove that you will experience severe future emotional and financial hardship because of the loss of the death of a relative, family member or spouse.

The laws regarding wrongful death cases are complex and include many facets of the law.  It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced wrongful death lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.