KTLA

Police fatally shoot man said to be armed with gun in downtown L.A. area

Police fatally shot a man investigators say was armed with a handgun in the downtown Los Angeles area early Monday.

Officers were conducting an investigation near West 7th and South Bixel streets about 3:50 a.m. when they attempted to contact a man described as a suspect, a Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Jovel said during a news conference.

It was unclear what the man was suspected of doing but investigators said he ran from the officers and headed south toward West 8th Street.

That’s where Jovel said the man produced a firearm, which “resulted in an officer-involved shooting.”

The unidentified man, described as a Black male between 30 and 40 years old, was struck by the gunfire and pronounced dead at a local hospital, the spokesperson said.

No officers were injured in the incident.

No further details about what led to the initial stop were available.

Authorities will be looking at body-worn and in-car video, and searching for witnesses as part of their investigation.

A firearm was recovered at the scene, Jovel said.

The 8th Street onramp to the southbound 110 Freeway was closed during the investigation.