Man who wanted 'suicide by cop' killed in Long Beach officer-involved shooting

LONG BEACH (CNS / FOX 11) - A man who told police he wanted to commit "suicide by cop'' was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Long Beach, authorities said Monday.

The man called police at 9:15 p.m. Sunday telling them he was in the 1600 block of Obispo Avenue, wanted to commit "suicide by cop'' and was armed with a handgun, said Long Beach police Sgt. James Richardson.

Officers established a perimeter around the area and tried to call the man without success, Richardson said. A police helicopter located him on the ground and the crew advised officers the suspect had something in his hands.

"At approximately 10:15 p.m. a team of officers that included a mental evaluation team officer was getting in a position to attempt verbal negotiations with the subject who had become increasingly agitated,'' he said.

"The subject charged at officers, while armed with a knife, and an officer-involved shooting occurred,'' Richardson said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene and a knife was recovered, he said. A photo of the knife showed the blade was about 8 inches long.

The shooting was under investigation by LBPD homicide detectives and investigators from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Richardson said.

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