Video shows California deputies firing at man after he falls to ground

Graphic video footage appeared to show Los Angeles County deputies repeatedly shooting a man walking away from them Saturday, apparently continuing even after he fell to the ground and tried to crawl away. He died at the scene.

Authorities identified the man as Nicholas Robertson, 28. The man had allegedly fired shots into the air and pointed a gun at deputies before they opened fire, the Los Angeles Times reports deputies said.

Robertson was "behaving erratically," Steven Katz, with the sheriff's homicide division, said in a news conference Sunday. After deputies said he ignored several calls to drop his weapon, one deputy fired 16 shots and another fired 17, Katz said. A .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun with no live rounds in it was recovered from the scene.

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Dozens of protesters took to the intersection where the shooting happened Saturday night.

"In this modern age of cell phone video and instant analysis on the internet, I would ask that we keep in mind that a thorough and comprehensive investigation is detailed and time intensive," Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said in a statement.