Long Beach Police Shoot Woman Reportedly Brandishing A Gun In Public
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A woman Saturday was shot by police in Long Beach after she reportedly brandished a gun in public.
CBS2 aired video of the woman being taken down by a hail of bullets.
Authorities said on Saturday evening that the woman was in a nearby hospital in critical condition.
The shooting occurred at Third Street and Long Beach Boulevard after a nearly three-hour standoff with the suspect and police.
Officials told CBS2's Art Barron that they had no choice but to shoot the woman calling it a deadly threat situation.
Police told Barron that they ordered the woman to drop her weapon but she refused.
Several witnesses told Barron they didn't understand why police shot the woman.
"They shot her like a dog," said Ricky Scott, "After the command to drop the weapon it was like (he makes the sound of gunfire.)"
Witness Geraldine Brooks said when she first came on the scene, the suspect was holding a gun to her head.
"And then after a while," said Brooks, "she was just leaning against a car."
A perimeter near downtown Long Beach was established shortly after 9:47 a.m. after police received a report of a "person with a gun."
Shortly after, authorities reported that Long Beach Boulevard and Elm Avenue were closed due to an ongoing investigation.
It is believed the woman was a patient at a nearby mental health facility and suicidal.
"The mental evaluation team spoke to the subject for over an hour. During the investigation, the suspect brandished a weapon," said Long Beach Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell.
Today's shooting was the 19th OIS in Long Beach this year.
