Police Fatally Shoot Knife-Wielding Man in Long Beach Gaming Hall

Officers attempted using non-lethal force to stop the man.

Officers fatally shot a man allegedly wielding a knife and threatening customers at a family-owned gaming hall in Long Beach Monday night, police said.

Police received a call around 10:08 p.m. about a man armed with a knife at Looff's Casino Game of Skill in the 2500 block of Long Beach Boulevard, according to the Long Beach Police Department.

Patrons at the gaming hall said they felt threatened and ran out of the building, said Lt. Brad Johnson of the Long Beach Police Department.

Officers arrived and tried to get the man to desist by using non-lethal force, Johnson said.

Police said the officers' attempts were ineffective as the man continued waving the knife and an officer-involved shooting occurred, Johnson said.

Long Beach Fire Department arrived at the scene after the shooting and pronounced the man dead.

No other injuries were reported.

The officer-involved shooting was under investigation.

The suspect's identity was not released, but police said he was a 39-year-old Carson resident.

Looff's gaming hall, which offers gambling, bingo and arcade games, has been around since 1941.

Oleevia Woo and Hetty Chang contributed to this report.

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