Huntington Beach Officer Fatally Shoots Man With Replica Gun
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A Huntington Beach police officer shot and killed a man who reportedly aimed a gun at him, which was later determined to be a fake weapon.
Police responded to a call around 4:30 p.m. Thursday from the owner of Buon Gusto Italian Cuisine & Deli who said the suspect was screaming and threatening a woman near a dumpster behind the eatery at 4911 Warner Avenue.
The owner said the man then threatened him with what he thought was a gun when he approached the couple.
Authorities later confronted the suspect and his girlfriend in a residential neighborhood near Hoskins Lane and Milo Drive.
"The suspect produced a handgun. Like I said, we later determined it to be a replica handgun, and the officer fired and killed the suspect," said Sgt. Mitch O'Brien of the Huntington Beach Police Department.
A witness said, "The police told him to put down his gun and he wouldn't… so they shot him."
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The officer was not injured.
Police questioned the suspect's girlfriend. She was later released.
The investigation is ongoing.
