Armand Bruce, 29

Armand Bruce, 29, a black man, was shot in the 43500 block of Gadsen Avenue in Lancaster about 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9.

Bruce and another black man approached a Brinks armored truck guard and pepper-sprayed her in the face, said Lt. Erik Ruble of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Lancaster station.

Ruble said the guard was about to pick up money from a business and was carrying an empty money bag, which she dropped when she was sprayed. He said the two men fled on foot after Bruce allegedly grabbed the money bag. Ruble said the guard was able to fire two shots just as the men were running, but did not know whether she struck anyone. Ruble said Bruce had been struck in the back by one of the shots.

After the robbery, witnesses told deputies that one of the men got into an awaiting vehicle with two women. A citizen wrote down the vehicle's license plate and gave the information to authorities. The vehicle was found at a house a mile away from the robbery, Ruble said. The man and two women were taken into custody.

Meanwhile, Bruce was driven to Providence Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 8 p.m. Ruble said the driver of the car was taken into custody.

The Homicide Report was unable to reach a representative from Brinks Inc. for comment.

Anyone with further information about the incident is asked to call detectives with the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Comments

[county citizen]

It's about time that the good guys chalk up a victory. It's nice to read that the scum bag got what he deserved.

[Courtney Kincaid]

Not that I'm sad about a robber being killed, but is it ok for an armored car guard to shoot at people who are running away? I wasn't there, so I hate to Monday Morning Quarterback her decision, but if they pepper sprayed her, grabbed the bag and ran away, where was the threat? Too bad an idiot had to die over an empty money bag.

[coakl]

Good shooting!!! I would find it hard to shoot straight with pepper spray in my eyes. If you attack an armed guard, you'll get what you deserve. A quick trip to your maker. One less vicious animal roaming the streets.

[Too bad for the scum bag]

boo hoo, for the poor scum bag out there pepper spaying hardworking guards, and robbing Brinks trucks. I say, he got what he deserved... no telling what other devilment he has gotten away with in her low life... Good riddens!

[CL]

The security guard had every right to defend herself. Her life was probably threatened and she responded to the threat. Kudos to her for powering through the pepper spray and dealing with the threat at hand.

Don't believe everything you read. Unless you were there, heard the conversation, and were the one being attacked, you don't know.

[Maryjane]

FIrst of all I want to say ...yes they messed up. REalllly bad. However Dont talk about the situation if you dont know the details....scum bags far from it. THey were good people who made a bad decision. Some of us make decisions that will effect the rest of thier lives. But we pray for them instead of running down more. I am not going to judge them instead be there for them. We gotcha...C>A all day. R.I.P "Smoke" forever be missed..9/4/08

[KJ]

I seriously question the wisdome of the guard, she could have shot and killed a by-stander.
As it is she killed a man fleeing with an empty money bag.
Well done, all those days plinking away at targets payed off,
The DA should file charges against this guard,
Idiot with a gun probably doesn't carry much jail time.

[Cas]

If she just had been pepper sprayed, she may not know what else could have been coming. She was protecting herself. Robbers knew the danger they put themselves in and are apparently comfortable with it

[Jtr]

It's really sad, the world we live in. A person has every right to defend themself. No doubt about that. And a person who tries to steal has every right to get what's coming to them. And last time I checked that was jail time, not death. Why is it that a guard can get away with shooting a fleeing suspect that ran with not only an empty money bag, but with pepper spray. I can understand if a gun was pulled, but since that wasn't the case where is the justification. It shows that there is ignorance on both sides of the situation. The sad part is that while the guard is being shown as a hero for shooting someone when their back is turned, a person is grieving over a loved one.

[Mario White]

Those who read this column who want the Brinks guard charged with a crime should write the DA's office and demand such. All things being equal, the guard may have the right to use deadly force if being robbed. But the question comes in as to whether a fleeing suspect may be shot. I do not think so. Those who have celebrated this killing on this blog obviously do not feel that there was any danger to an innocent person being shot, If that tragic outcome had occurred, what would the supporters of the security guard say then? "Oh, sorry for the mistake."? Brinks must be forced to make public its policy on the use of deadly force, as well. It cannot simply stand behind the blue line of silence. The security guard who fired the deadly round needs to be prosecuted for no less than mansalughter and reckless endangerment, as well as be fired from their position. The family of the deceased should retain an attorney and sue no less than the grocery store, the guard, and the company for whom the guard worked. Then, somthing might begin to happen in this case, and then, perhaps, grocery stores, armored guard companies, and individual security guards, will think differently about using deadly force in these type of circumstances.