A man who told police he wanted to commit “suicide by cop” was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Long Beach, authorities said Monday.
The man called police at 9:15 p.m. Sunday telling them he was in the 1600 block of Obispo Avenue, wanted to commit “suicide by cop” and was armed with a handgun, said Long Beach Police Sgt. James Richardson.
Officers established a perimeter around the area and tried to call the man without success, Richardson said. A police helicopter located him on the ground and the crew advised officers the suspect had something in his hands.
“At approximately 10:15 p.m. a team of officers that included a mental evaluation team officer was getting in a position to attempt verbal negotiations with the subject who had become increasingly agitated,” he said.
“The subject charged at officers, while armed with a knife, and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Richardson said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene and a knife was recovered, he said. A photo of the knife showed the blade was about 8 inches long.
The shooting was under investigation by LBPD homicide detectives and investigators from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Richardson said.
—City News Service