Police shot and wounded a suspect who they say first opened fire on them while fleeing from the officers in Long Beach on Monday afternoon.
The gunfire took place at about 2 p.m in the 1200 block of East Leigh Court, officials said.
Officers first responded to reports of a shooting at nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Park, located at 1950 Lemon Ave., Long Beach Police Department Sgt. Rudy Garcia said.
“Officers contacted a subject on a bicycle believed to be involved in the shooting that occurred at the park,” the sergeant said. The person, initially described only as male, ran when the officers approached.
Garcia said the officers gave commands to the fleeing suspect, which were ignored.
“While the officers were chasing the subject, it’s believed that the suspect shot at the officers,” he said. “An officer-involved shooting occurred immediately after that.”
The wounded suspect was hospitalized with gunshot wounds to his “upper torso,” Garcia said. He was listed in critical-but-stable condition.
“There was a firearm located in the area of the officer-involved shooting,” he said.
Officers had not found any victims connected to the initial reported gunfire at the park, police said.
