Police: Man Killed While Trying To Rob Off-Duty Officer At Fast-Food Restaurant

COVINA (CBSLA.com) — An off-duty Los Angeles police officer shot and killed a man he believed was trying to rob him Wednesday at a Carl's Jr. restaurant in Covina, authorities said.

Firefighters were dispatched about 3:15 p.m. to the restaurant in the 500 block of North Azusa Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Joey Marron said.

Witnesses said the off-duty officer had just left a tattoo parlor to go across to Carl's Jr. for lunch.

The unidentified man, who was shot several times in the upper body, was pronounced dead at the scene, Covina Police Department Sgt. Gregg Peterson said.

"The preliminary investigation revealed the suspect brandished a weapon at the off-duty officer who then shot the suspect in the upper torso," said Peterson, who also said the name of the officer would not be immediately released.

Vanessa Solano was across the shopping plaza when she took cellphone video of a man coming out of the restaurant with his hands up and showing police what looked to be a badge.

"They never once patted him down, and as soon as the detectives started getting here, he shook all the detectives' hands and took him off in a cop car," Solano said.

The officer, who police confirmed is a reserve LAPD officer who works part time and is allowed to carry a weapon, was not injured. He was being questioned at the Covina police station for details about the shooting.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)