Police arrested a man suspected of pointing what turned out to be a replica firearm at passing vehicles in Belmont Shore Sunday night.
Authorities used less than lethal tools and a K9 to eventually subdue the suspect, identified as Long Beach resident Joel Peterson, 42.
Officers initially responded to 2nd Street and Bay Shore Avenue at 7:25PM regarding a call of a person with a gun.
“The subject was walking in the middle of the street pointing a possible handgun at passing vehicles,” Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokesman Sgt. Brad Johnson said in an email. “When officers arrived on scene the subject would not comply with their lawful orders.”
Once Peterson was taken into custody he was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries. A replica firearm was recovered.
A portion of the incident was recorded and posted to Facebook before it was later taken down.
In the video, obtained by Longbeachize.com, the suspect is seen with his pants down and hands in the air attempting to prove he was not in possession of a weapon before police shoot at him and release a police dog. A crowd is also seen in the video gathering and yelling at police to let the suspect go.
“Officers did a remarkable job de-escalating the situation and used less lethal force to end the situation as peacefully as possible,” Johnson said. “The outcome could have been much different based on the suspect’s actions. The video does not capture the entire incident.”
Johnson said that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department was not involved and that the officials in the video in tan and green uniforms are Long Beach Marine Patrol officers. He also said the incident was not considered an officer-involved shooting.
The suspect was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting or obstructing police and being held in lieu of $30,000 bail, according to the Press Telegram.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story identified the suspect at Joel Patterson, as stated by LBPD. The suspect’s name is in fact Joel Peterson.