SOUTH WHITTIER – Authorities said a man shot his 26-year-old son in the torso in self-defense after his offspring allegedly lunged at him with a knife Wednesday night.

The father was trying to stop a fight between his son and the sons girlfriend.

Sheriffs Lt. Cynthia McDaniel said the son, Stephen Turner Jr, was in stable condition Tuesday at a hospital.

The sheriffs Norwalk Station got a call of someone who had been shot at a residence in the 9900 block of Du Page Avenue at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday. The street is located in the unincorporated county area near Whittier. Deputies found the wounded Turner.

McDaniel didnt know what led to the dispute between Turner and his girlfriend

Hed been fighting with the girlfriend. He had a knife and was attacking her, McDaniel said. She didnt know if the girlfriend was injured.

Turner allegedly threatened to kill the girlfriend, according to Lt. Bill Evans.

Because of the suspects behavior, the suspects father armed himself with his handgun and tried to get the suspect to stop fighting with his girlfriend, Evans said.

The suspect reportedly lunged at his father with the knife, and in an apparent act of self-defense, the father fired his handgun at the suspect striking him in the torso and causing him to drop the knife.

Deputies found a knife at the scene. Evans said the gun is registered to Turners father and he didnt appear to have any restrictions on the ownership or possession of the handgun.

Turner was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He remains in a hospital.

His father wasnt arrested.