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Armed Suspect Killed After Exchanging Gunfire With Police In Long Beach

LONG BEACH (CBSLA) – A wanted man was killed in a shootout with officers in Long Beach Sunday night.

Armed Suspect Killed After Exchanging Gunfire With Police In Long Beach
A handgun belonging to an armed suspect who was shot and killed by police in Long Beach, Calif., on on Feb. 16, 2020. (Long Beach Police Department)

The suspect was shot to death at 10:10 p.m. in the area of East Rhea Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue after pulling out a handgun and opening fire, Long Beach police report.

The officers were working as part of a violent crime task force when they came upon the suspect riding a bike in the 900 block of East 19th Street, police said.

He tried to run and a chase ensued, police said. When officers tried to subdue him using a taser, he pointed a handgun at them and fired at least one shot, police said.

Officers then returned fire, wounding him, police said. He was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, where he died. The man was not immediately identified.

Armed Suspect Killed After Exchanging Gunfire With Police In Long Beach
Home security video of an officer-involved shooting in Long Beach, Calif., which left a suspect dead. Feb. 16, 2020. (Ring)

A home security camera captured the end of the encounter. An officer can be heard on the video ordering the suspect to get on the ground. Two gunshots are also heard. It's unclear from the video if the suspect was armed or if he fired first.

Neighbor Sopah Lawson was on her way to work when she heard the gunshots and ducked down behind a truck.

"Oh my God, it was so scary, my heart was beating so fast, I was like literally so close to death," Lawson told CBS2. "I didn't know, you couldn't tell, it was so dark."

"I heard a taser went off, I saw the electricity came out, and he went, 'Ow!' and started screaming," Lawson added.

The suspect's handgun was recovered at the scene. Police did not confirm what criminal charges the man was initially wanted on.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will independently investigate the case, which is standard policy with any officer-involved shooting.

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