The suspect’s handgun recovered at the scene. Photo courtesy of Long Beach Police Department.
Long Beach police shot and killed an armed suspect in the City of Carson on Sunday after linking him to a shooting that took place in North Long Beach the night before that left a man critically injured, authorities said.
Gang enforcement detectives with the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) identified the suspect while investigating an attempted murder that took place on Saturday, January 21 at 10:50PM on the 900 block of Via Wanda, in the city’s Carmelitos Housing Project, according to a release from the LBPD.
During that incident, officers were responding to a shots heard call when they found a 40-year-old man struck by gunfire in his upper torso. The victim was transported to a local hospital by Long Beach firefighters and listed in critical condition.
The detectives then responded to the incident and continued their investigation throughout the night until they identified the suspect.
“Our detectives did some amazing work and by that next morning they were tracking the suspect that committed that shooting, which led them right out of town, right to the border city of Carson,” said LBPD Chief Robert Luna during a Monday morning news conference on last year’s crime statistics.
The detectives were led to a residence on the 2700 block of East 220th Place in Carson at about 11:00AM on Sunday.
The department’s SWAT team was also activated due to the suspect being “armed and dangerous” and “because of his criminal history,” authorities said.
“As SWAT officers were setting up their containment and making an approach on the suspect’s known location, the residence of an acquaintance, the suspect fled out the back and proceeded to jump multiple fences, in an attempt to get away,” the release stated.
The fleeing suspect, who was seen armed with a handgun by several SWAT officers, ignored orders to stop and surrender and then forced his way into the home of a family on the same block, according to the release.
The occupants quickly fled their home and told officers that others—later identified as two minors who were unharmed—were still inside.
“Knowing they had a hostage situation, SWAT officers made immediate entry to the house to rescue the remaining family members,” the release stated. “As they entered, the suspect fled out the back and over a fence into the yard of a different house, again on the same block.”
The suspect tried to hide from officers by barricading himself in a utility shed attached to the outside of that house, officials said.
During the hours-long standoff, SWAT officers established a two-way communication with the suspect, attempting to persuade him to surrender, but he refused, according to officials. Authorities said less lethal options were also unsuccessfully utilized, including firing numerous 40mm rubber baton rounds, throwing tear gas into the shed and even a K-9, Luna said.
Then, at about 5:10PM, the armed suspect confronted SWAT officers, threatening them, and an officer-involved shooting occurred. The suspect was struck by gunfire and determined dead at the scene by Long Beach fire personnel staged nearby. No officers were injured.
Authorities said the handgun was recovered at the scene.
The LBPD is investigating the incident as gang-related.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will conduct their own independent investigation, according to officials.
This is the second officer-involved shooting involving Long Beach police in 2017. The first one took place just over a week ago when a 37-year-old woman—who had been threatening people with a knife—advanced on police officers.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Long Beach homicide Detectives at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smart phone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or clicking here.
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