A man carrying a replica handgun died after being shot by police near the busy corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood Thursday morning, officials said.
Multiple people reported a man walking along Hollywood Boulevard with a gun just east of the bustling intersection around 11:20 a.m., and at least one responding officer shot the man, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The man was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Police did not immediately release his name.
A witness told KTLA he heard five shots in a row, and people in the area started running. He says he then walked by the scene and saw officers trying to resuscitate a man down on the ground.
Police tape could be seen surrounding a McDonald’s just east of the intersection in aerial video from Sky5. Blood was also visible on the sidewalk, smearing across stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Stills from surveillance video and an officer’s body-worn camera released by the department show the man brandishing what appears to be a knife at the officer. Police also released images of the fake firearm and a knife recovered at the scene.
“Exactly what the suspect did what that handgun that led the officers to fire at him will be determined through watching body-worn video and interviewing the officers and multiple witnesses that were here for the shooting,” LAPD Detective Meghan Aguilar said.
A woman in the area was also hospitalized “for an injury sustained during the incident,” LAPD said in a tweet without providing further details.
According to Aguilar, police are interviewing several people who encountered the suspect before police responded and are potential assault victims.
Bystander video captured during the aftermath showed police vehicles blocking the intersection, which is lined with several museums, theaters and a shopping mall popular among tourists.
Detectives expected to stay on scene into the evening, and traffic would be heavily impacted, Aguilar said.