Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Six days after a police shooting left a young man dead, Covina Police department release details of what led up to the deadly encounter.

Officers responded to country liquor, 124 E. Arrow Hwy., April 9 at 10:10 p.m. to several 9-1-1 calls reporting a man with a gun. The suspect, who the callers described, was drinking a beer outside of the liquor store and was allegedly arguing with customers, according to the Covina Police Department.

After locating three a man outside of the liquor store, Police noticed one man who fit the description of the suspect.

“The officers identified a man who fit the description of the call and gave lawful commands not to reach for anything [“Don’t reach for anything.”] The individual did not comply with these commands and begin to remove what officers reasonably believed to be a gun from his waistband,” according to the Covina Police Department in a written statement.

Officers then shot 25-year-old Daniel Valdivia, a Covina resident. He was given medical aid and transported to a hospital where he died.

Recovered was a BB gun which resembles a Glock handgun, the Covina Police Department said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide detectives were initially called to investigate. The investigation has since been handed over to the California Department of Justice.

OAKLAND – The California Department of Justice announced Monday that it is investigating the Covina Police shooting that killed a man April 9.

The shooting took place in the 100 block of East Arrow Highway around 10:10 p.m. Covina officers were reportedly responding to a call for assistance, according to Office of the Attorney General.

The man killed was identified by the county coroner as 24-year-old Daniel Valdivia, a Covina resident.

No other details are available.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau initially responded and began investigating.

The California Department of Justice’s California Police Shooting Investigation Team for Southern California responded to the scene to investigate after being notified by local authorities.

The state-level investigation is being conducted pursuant to AB 1506 and requires a state prosecutor from the attorney general’s office to investigate police shootings involving a questionable use of force, or a shooting resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian.

AB 1506, which was signed into law September 30, 2020, went into effect July 1, 2021.

For more information, visit the Office of the Attorney General website.