A fight sparked an hours-long police standoff this morning at a small homeless shelter run by a Downtown Long Beach church.
Early this morning, Long Beach police, including an armored SWAT vehicle, blocked off Seventh Street outside the Second Samoan Congregational Church. They surrounded a house next to the sanctuary that the church offers to homeless residents as transitional housing.
Second Samoan Pastor Misi Tagaloa said police had been called around 2 a.m. after “one of our guests at the transitional home got into a fight with his roommate.”
Police said the fight started with an argument between the two men, that ended with one man hitting the other with “a blunt object.”
The victim was taken to the hospital where he’s expected to recover, police said, but when officers tried to contact the attacker, he barricaded himself inside the home.
SWAT officers helped evacuate neighbors and surrounded the house where police said they negotiated with the attacker for hours. Eventually, officers used a Taser and took him into custody, LBPD spokesman Richard Mejia said.
Medics took the suspected attacker to a hospital to treat minor injuries, according to police. He’ll be booked into jail once he’s medically cleared, Mejia said.
Tagaloa has long done homeless outreach at his church and provided shelter at the house next to the sanctuary. Last year, he was charged with stealing from one disabled resident under his care at the home.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more information from police and Tagaloa.
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