A Los Angeles police officer was forced to pull the trigger on a vandalism suspect and fatally shot him when the suspect began to reach out for a gun during a struggle inside a hospital emergency room, authorities said Sunday.
The man was brought to Harbour-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance to get checked out after he had "viciously attacked" two officers who were sent to investigate reports of a man throwing bottles at an apartment complex and fighting with his neighbors around 8 a.m.
Cmdr. Phil Tingirides said tha the 26-year-old man had kicked and punched the officers and also knocked off the stun-gun from one of the officer's hand during the struggle. More officers were called for backup and subdued the man, according to ABC News.
When the man was freed from his handcuffs, he picked up a metal chair and began swinging it. Despite life-saving measures, the suspect died at the scene. The police said that a detailed report of the incident would be shared in a conference at 6 p.m., but it was delayed for three hours until the next of kin was notified, KTLA 5 reported.
The man, who was shot in the torso, shot was the 20th person to be killed this year by an off-duty LAPD officer. The suspect's family had gathered at the hospital on Saturday but had shortly left and couldn't be located thereafter.
There were a number of witnesses at the time of the shooting who will be reviewed by the district attorney's office, Police Commission and its inspector general, according to The Los Angeles Times.
