A 22-year-old man armed with a shotgun was killed by police in Long Beach and an investigation was underway Friday morning to try to determine if he was killed by an officer's bullet or if he died from injuries he suffered when a police vehicle struck him.
Police responded to a call that the suspect had opened fire in front of a restaurant in the area of Atlantic Avenue and Market Street about 9:20 p.m. Thursday and wounded a man, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
The suspect remained in the area and as the first officer arrived and encountered the armed suspect, a police shooting occurred near the intersection, the department said.
As a second officer in a marked police vehicle arrived on scene, the suspect fired at the police vehicle, striking it twice and prompting the officer to intentionally ram the suspect with the police vehicle "stopping the suspect from continuing to fire," the LBPD said.
"The suspect is deceased and he is on scene," Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna told reporters Thursday night. "There was an officer- involved shooting, so we don't know if he's deceased from the gunfire or possibly when he was struck by the officer he was shooting at."
A shotgun was recovered at the scene.
Responding officers were also informed a woman was struck by gunfire.
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Long Beach fire paramedics took two victims to a hospital, one in critical condition. The second victim was taken to a hospital with stable vital signs, Luna said. An officer was taken to a hospital as a precaution, police said.
A motive for the shooting was unknown.
The names of the shooter and victims were not disclosed. The shooter is from Long Beach.
Atlantic Avenue between 53rd and 55th streets will be closed to traffic until further notice, police said.
Anyone who witnessed the shootings was asked to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Michael Hubbard or Leticia Gamboa at 562-570-7244.
Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
