Suspect Killed In Church Shootout With Long Beach Police

LONG BEACH, CA — A man was shot and killed by Long Beach police after an hours-long standoff at a church Tuesday night, and the investigation into the shooting was ongoing Wednesday.

The Long Beach Police Department received a report of a man with a gun at about 3:15 p.m. near 52nd Street and Atlantic Avenue at Iglesia del Cristo Miel Church. When officers arrived, they found the man and attempted to de-escalate the situation while additional resources arrived.

A Long Beach SWAT team, a hostage negotiator and a Mental Evaluation team arrived at the scene to help with de-escalation attempts. Authorities tried for hours to calm the suspect down, but he remained uncooperative, according to LBPD.

"After approximately two and half hours of de-escalation attempts, the suspect and officers both discharged their firearms, resulting in an officer involved shooting," LBPD said in a statement.

Both the suspect and an officer sustained gunshot wounds in the shootout. Following the shooting, officers immediately rendered aid to the suspect until Long Beach Fire Department Paramedics relieved them.

LBFD declared the suspect died at the scene and the injured officer was taken to a local hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the arm, KTLA reported.

“I witnessed [police] kind of talk to him for a little bit and then I witnessed – I think his name was Francis – and they said, ‘Francis, are you ready to surrender?” I saw him stand up," witness Anthony Fresura told OnScene.TV, according KTLA. "Then I heard two shots ring out and the next thing I know a bunch more rang out. The cops were on top of him, they cleared him of everything and then they started doing CPR.”

Police recovered the gun the suspect used.

Per police department policy, this incident is undergoing a multi-level review process by the Long Beach Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.