It may seem like more and more shootings are being reported in Long Beach every day, and sadly, we can add two more to that ever-growing list after a busy night for the Long Beach Police Department last night. Officers shot an unruly man in Belmont Shore just after midnight, after the man had been detained for smashing windows along 2nd Street and then allegedly stole an officer’s baton. The Press-Telegram‘s John Canalis has the details from a police statement:
“An officer arrived on scene and attempted to take the suspect into custody,” according to a statement from police. “The suspect refused to comply with the officer’s orders given to him on several occasions. The officer having warned the suspect he would use force if the suspect continued to resist, deployed his police baton to attempt to gain compliance.
“While attempting to take the suspect into custody, the suspect took the baton from the officer and an officer involved shooting occurred.”
Belmont Shore residents have been speaking out for some time about unruly behavior that likely emanates from the area’s late-night bars, and have actively spoken to bar owners and posted videos of drunken behavior to YouTube in efforts to stop the noise. The District Weekly‘s Dave Wielenga delves into the subject this week:
“If it means showing the world that Belmont Shore is not this quaint little community, so be it,” says John Forstrom, 38, frustrated by the noise, vandalism, violence and occasional creepiness he’s had to live with since purchasing a house on Glendora Avenue with his newlywed wife in August 2006. “Residents have been saying the same things—to elected officials, city departments and the police—and nothing has changed. But people are organizing other strategies now.”
The article explains that some businesses have been very receptive to being more neighborhood-friendly, but that problems still pop up now and again. Such was the case last night, as the 25-year old man was seen smashing windows along 2nd Street before police arrived.
But that type of violence is much different than the kind that occured yesterday afternoon. Around 5:30pm, an LBPD officer was shot in the arm while pursuing three suspects who led police on a chase down the 710 Freeway and onto Willow. Officers fired back and wounded all three suspects, who are currently in local hospitals. Few details have emerged from this story so far, but it’s just the latest incident to draw negative attention to Long Beach in the local media.
Crime rates have been on the rise in 2009, after several consecutive years of decline. Earlier this month, officers held a press conference to discuss the current crime environment and explained that hard times were likely causing tension that led to violence. Gang violence has increased, authorities have said, partly because families are being forced to move into unfamiliar neighborhoods. Our story at the time read:
“We’ve seen a huge uptick in homocides and murders,” said Deputy Chief William Blair. “There’s certainly a lot more gang involvement. But the issues on the Northside, Southside, Westside and even the Eastside are not all the same issues.”
Which, of course, is the issue. The issues in Belmont Shore are completely different from the issues on Willow Street near the 710 Freeway, and it’s difficult for officers to identify when and where the next crime will occur when tensions are so high and communities are changing so rapidly. These two most recent incidents may not fall into the same category as the gang-related shootings that took lives earlier this year, but they do demonstrate an increased frequency in violent incidents that are reported in the media.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor