Man killed by Tulare County Sheriff's deputies during welfare check identified

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The man killed by Tulare County Sheriff's deputies during a confrontation during a welfare check in a residential neighborhood on Wednesday morning has been identified as 38-year-old Michael Pinon of Porterville.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a previous broadcast and will be updated.

Tulare County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of a possible fight at a home on Matheny Avenue and Prine Drive, in an area just south of Tulare.

According to TCSO, when deputies arrived, they were confronted by a man who refused to come out and later appeared from the back of the home.

According to deputies, Pinon pointed at what they believed was a weapon.

In that moment, shots were fired.

Pinon suffered life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Hours later, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office would determine the object pointed at deputies was not a weapon, but a black cell phone.

It is unclear how many deputies were involved in the shooting.

The California Department of Justice, along with the Tulare Police Department, is collaborating on the investigation to ensure full transparency.