A man who allegedly charged a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy several times at a San Fernando Valley subway station died after being stunned multiple times with a Taser, a sheriff's spokesman said today.

The Wednesday night incident was being investigated by the sheriff’s internal affairs bureau and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

[Updated at 11:36 a.m.: The incident is also being investigated by the sheriff's homicide bureau and overseen by the office of independent review.]

It occurred at 8:18 p.m. on the mezzanine level of the North Hollywood Red Line station, said Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

“The deputy asked him if he had a ticket," Whitmore said. "The man did not respond, so the deputy again asked him if he had a ticket. He asked a total of three times and the man did not respond."

The deputy took hold of the man's hands to stop and question him, Whitmore said. But the man broke free, raised his clenched fists and charged the deputy, attempting to hit him. The deputy stepped aside, and the man charged the deputy again, he said.

The deputy used his Taser on the man, who jumped up, and was Tasered again. The man charged again and was Tasered a third time. He kept trying to get up but finally fell to ground. A glass pipe used to smoke narcotics fell to the ground during the altercation, Whitmore said.

-- Andrew Blankstein