Police shoot man wielding metal pipe outside of Von's in Fontana

Authorities have launched an investigation into the shooting of an allegedly armed man by Fontana police on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened at around 2:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the shopping center located at the intersection of Cherry Avenue and Baseline Avenue, according to the Fontana Police Department.

Circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear, but they say that the man was armed with a large metal pipe. With SkyCal over the scene, an object resembling the alleged weapon could be seen on the floor of the parking lot, near a Fontana patrol car.

"The suspect was reportedly swinging the pole, damaging property, and committed an assault with a deadly weapon on a citizen," said a statement from police.

An arriving officer came in contact with the man and attempted to deescalate the situation, but the suspect refused to comply with his demands, the FPD statement said.

"During the encounter, the suspect attacked the officer with the pipe, resulting in a lethal force response from the officer," police said.

Both the suspect and an officer were hospitalized following the incident. The suspect, who remains unidentified, died shortly after arrival.

The officer was also hospitalized with injuries sustained in the attack. Their status was not immediately known.

"There is no danger to the public at this time, but we ask that you please avoid the area if possible to allow officers to conduct their investigation," said a post on X from FPD .

Police say that the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department will be leading the investigation.

The statement also calls touches upon a video that has reportedly been circulating on social media, showing a violent portion of the encounter.

"The Fontana Police Department is aware of a video circulating on social media that depicts a portion of the incident," the police statement said. "It is important to note that this video only shows a small portion of the event in its entirety. The Fontana Police Department is conducting an internal administrative investigation into the entirety of the incident."