Warning: this story contains graphic video which may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
UPDATE | A video posted live to Facebook by a witness documenting the aftermath of a traffic stop-turned-police shooting in the city’s South Wrigley neighborhood Tuesday night, shows what appears to be a female driver crawling toward authorities after an officer shot a male passenger police say he believed was pointing a gun at him.
The video also shows police seemingly agitated with witnesses they said were in the line of fire as the scene unfolded. During an officer’s continued shouts for witnesses to take cover inside a nearby liquor store, he makes reference to a child being involved in the incident.
“There’s a little kid out there, stay in the liquor store,” the unidentified officer shouts through a megaphone. At another point, the officer states “You are in the line of fire, please go inside the liquor store for your own safety.”
https://www.facebook.com/james.landers.75/videos/1616141195172875/
The video shows the minutes after police fired about five rounds, according to witnesses in the video. It was unclear if those shots were all directed at the suspect.
Authorities on Wednesday identified the suspect as 21-year-old Anthony Mariscal of Long Beach, adding that three additional subjects in the car were detained, and uninjured.
Officials did not identify the additional subjects in the car, citing department policy to only release information on individuals who are arrested.
“We do not provide information of witnesses or individuals who are detained,” LBPD spokeswoman Arantxa Chavarria told the Post.
The incident began when officers stopped a vehicle for traffic violation Tuesday at about 9:40PM in the area of Chestnut Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway.
“While approaching the vehicle an officer-involved shooting occurred,” the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) stated.
The suspect was struck by police gunfire and transported by the Long Beach Fire Department to a local area hospital where he is listed in stable condition.
Authorities said Mariscal was found to have a no-bail felony warrant for his arrest for violating the terms of his post-release community supervision.
A gun was recovered inside the vehicle.
A weapon police said they found inside the vehicle. Photo courtesy of LBPD.
The incident happened amid a series of reported gang-related shootings recently in the West Patrol Division, resulting in increased patrol resources to the area in an effort to enhance residents’ safety, according to officials.
Three shootings took place within two hours of each other Monday, March 12, with one resulting in the death of a 22-year-old man.
The first incident was reported at 2:50PM on the 1700 block of Pine Avenue. Callers reported hearing multiple shots, and one caller, believed to be a victim of the shooting, described the suspects.
Officers responding to the scene located a possible suspect on the 1700 block of Locust Avenue and two possible suspects on the 1700 block of Pine Avenue, all of whom were detained. During a field lineup two of the three subjects detained were identified as being involved, officials said.
No injuries were reported in this incident.
At 4:10PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Pacific Coast Highway where they found a victim with a gunshot wound to his upper torso. Long Beach paramedics transported him to a local hospital.
At 4:30PM, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of Wesley Drive where they discovered 22-year-old Richard Van of Long Beach with a gunshot wound to his upper torso. He was transported to a local hospital where he died.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the officer-involved shooting. Anyone with information regarding the most recent incident is urged to call Homicide Detectives at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1 (800) 222-TIPS (8477).
PREVIOUSLY: Suspect Shot After Appearing to Point Gun at Officer During Traffic Stop
3/14/18 at 1:04PM | By City News Service | A suspect who was critically wounded by a Long Beach police officer during a traffic stop was hospitalized this morning, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 9:40PM Tuesday in the area of Chestnut Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
The officer approached the suspect’s vehicle during a traffic stop and the man appeared to have pointed a handgun at the officer, at which time the shooting occurred, police said, adding that the suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Authorities did not immediately disclose why the suspect’s vehicle was stopped or if a gun was recovered.
Three additional suspects who were in the vehicle were uninjured in the shooting and detained, police said. It also wasn’t clear if the suspect was a driver or a passenger.
No officers were injured, police said.
The intersection where the shooting occurred was closed early this morning and was expected to remain closed for several hours but police did not have an estimate of when it would reopen.