A man who had been wanted on suspicion of murder and attempted murder was fatally shot by police in the Vernon area Wednesday morning after assaulting an officer while attempting to disarm her, authorities said.
Officers from a multiagency gang taskforce were searching for the suspect in the Los Angeles Riverbed area between Vernon and Bell around 7:10 a.m. when he was spotted in an encampment, South Gate police Chief Darren Arakawa said.
The man, who has not been identified, ran away, jumped over a wall and tried to get into a business in the 5600 block of District Boulevard.
A South Gate officer confronted the man, who refused to surrender and instead tried to grab her gun, authorities said. After a struggle, the suspect punched the officer in the face and the officer eventually shot the man twice. The suspect was declared dead at the scene after first responders tried life-saving measures.
A gun was recovered at the scene, Arakawa said.
A $1 million arrest warrant was out for the man, who was wanted in connection with an attempted murder on March 1 and a murder on March 7, both in the city of Bell.
Arakawa said the suspect was a known gang member and his arrest record “defies logic.” He had been released from prison late last year, the chief said without elaborating.
The investigation has been handed over to the California Department of Justice.
The state agency gets involved when a police shooting results in the death of an unarmed civilian, according to AB 1506.