UPDATED 3PM Friday | The suspect killed by LBPD officers early Thursday morning was identified on Friday as 19 year-old Christopher Taylor from Maryland.
The circumstances of Taylor being in California at the time of the Redondo Beach robbery and subsequent Long Beach shooting remain unclear. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation of the shooting, as they do with all officer involved shootings that occur in Los Angeles County that result in injury or death.
Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Mark McGuire or Roger Zottneck at (562) 570-7244. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or text TIPLA plus your tip to 274637 (CRIMES), or visit www.LACrimeStoppers.org.
ORIGINAL 12PM Thursday | A suspect wanted in connection with a Redondo Beach home and car robbery was fatally shot by Long Beach police early Thursday morning after he fired a handgun at officers following a vehicle chase that ended in a quiet neighborhood off of Los Coyotes Diagonal.
Just before 1AM, California Highway Patrol officers spotted a white BMW that had been reported stolen in Redondo Beach earlier in the evening driving southbound on the 405. CHP pursued the car into Long Beach, but lost sight of it as it exited the freeway at Studebaker Rd.
According to LBPD spokeswoman Marlene Arrona, Long Beach officers spotted the suspect vehicle a few minutes later and gave chase, which ended when the driver crashed into a garage in the 6400 block of Keynote St. and was killed in an officer-involved shooting after he fired on officers with a handgun.
Sgt. Aaron Eaton with LBPD said that the suspect, who is expected to be identified later today, died at the scene. A handgun was also recovered, he said.
The Press-Telegram is reporting that the white BMW in question was stolen during a home invasion that occurred sometime between 8PM and midnight in the 1600 block of Morgan Lane in Redondo Beach. Redondo Beach police put out a description of the car, information which led the CHP to give its initial pursuit.
Los Coyotes was shut down at Palo Verde for most of the night and the area around Keynote St. remained closed Thursday morning.
We will update the story as more info becomes available.
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