Two men are dead after Los Angeles police officers forced entry into a Lake Balboa home and opened fire during a domestic violence incident, raising immediate questions about police protocols and use of deadly force.
Story Snapshot
- LAPD officers fatally shot individuals during domestic dispute in Lake Balboa home
- Police forced entry at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday on Valerio Street after reports of father-son fight
- Incident raises concerns about police use of deadly force protocols
- Limited information released about circumstances leading to fatal shooting
Police Response Ends in Double Fatality
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to reports of a violent domestic dispute between a father and son at a residence in the 17000 block of Valerio Street Wednesday morning. The confrontation escalated when officers forced their way into the Lake Balboa home around 8:30 a.m. Police opened fire during the incident, resulting in two fatalities. The exact circumstances that led officers to use deadly force remain unclear.
Limited Details Fuel Questions About Police Actions
LAPD has released minimal information about the shooting, leaving critical questions unanswered about the sequence of events inside the home. The department has not specified whether the deceased individuals were armed, what immediate threat officers faced, or why deadly force was deemed necessary. This lack of transparency follows a troubling pattern where law enforcement agencies provide scant details following officer-involved shootings, denying the public crucial information needed to assess police conduct.
Domestic Violence Call Turns Deadly
The incident began as a domestic violence response, a category of police calls that often involves complex family dynamics and heightened emotions. Officers arriving at such scenes typically follow de-escalation protocols designed to protect all parties involved. However, the decision to force entry and subsequently use lethal force suggests the situation rapidly intensified beyond standard intervention procedures. The outcome underscores ongoing concerns about police training and decision-making in volatile domestic situations.
Investigation Needed Into Use of Force
This shooting demands thorough investigation to determine whether officers followed proper protocols and if deadly force was justified. The community deserves transparency about what transpired inside that Lake Balboa home and why two lives were lost during what began as a welfare check. Without accountability and clear explanations of police actions, public trust continues to erode. Citizens have every right to expect law enforcement to protect life, not end it, especially when responding to family disputes that might be resolved through proper crisis intervention techniques.
BREAKING TV-11 Officer involved shooting in #LakeBalboa @Stu_Mundel reporting from overhead in #SkyFox pic.twitter.com/07U8fc5gcm
— DJTru (@DJTru) December 3, 2025
Sources:
2 dead after police shoot adult son stabbing his father …