Long Beach police responded to reports of a possible DUI and road rage incident
NEED TO KNOW
- Long Beach police responded to reports of a possible DUI and road rage incident involving an ambulance transporting a patient on Wednesday
- The suspect, apparently armed with a machete, led officers on a chase before a standoff near UCI Health in Los Alamitos
- Crisis negotiators were unable to de-escalate the situation, leading officers to shoot the man
A machete-wielding man who led police on a wild chase in Southern California is reportedly in critical condition after being shot by officers.
Long Beach police responded to reports of a possible DUI and road rage incident involving an ambulance transporting a patient just after 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, the department said in a statement to PEOPLE.
A man, whom authorities said was driving erratically, per NBC4, fled the scene and a pursuit ensued.
He eventually stopped at an intersection near UCI Health in Los Alamitos and tried to run while apparently armed with a machete, leading to a massive law enforcement response and a lockdown of the medical center for several hours, KTLA reported.
According to the LBPD, officers “established a perimeter and activated SWAT resources” at that time.
Video footage, which was originally posted to The Citizen App, appeared to show the shirtless suspect pacing back and forth, swinging the machete and yelling at nearby officers, ABC7 reported.
When crisis negotiators were unable to convince him to surrender, officers used non-lethal weapons with no success, according to the outlets. He then allegedly ran towards the officers with the machete, which prompted them to open fire.
The LBPD confirmed an “outside agency officer-involved shooting occurred,” per its statement, and noted that no LBPD personnel were involved.
The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition; he was not immediately identified but is believed to be in his 40s, according to KTLA.
An LAPD official told NBC4 that the UCI hospital was not involved in the standoff or shooting, but a lockdown was issued due to the proximity.
It is unclear what led to the alleged road rage incident; an investigation remains ongoing.
An inquiry to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was not immediately returned.
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