Man Suspected in Stabbing, Hostage Situation Shot by Police in Long Beach

Last night at 10:50pm Long Beach Police Department officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Washington Place regarding a stabbing that just occurred.

Upon arrival officers contacted a female victim and found that she had been stabbed multiple times in the upper body by a known suspect. She advised officer’s that there was possibly another victim being held against their will inside a residence in the 800 block of Washington Place.

Additional officers responded and could hear a female screaming for help from inside a home in the 800 block of Washington Place. The officers were able to locate the exact residence at which time they could see the suspect through an open door holding a female adult against her will with an unknown stabbing instrument to her throat.

Officers set up a containment and began giving orders for the suspect to drop the weapon but the suspect refused. They could hear the suspect making threats to the victim that he was going to kill her, as she was screaming for help. The suspect was using the victim as a body shield as officers tried to negotiate with him to drop the weapon and to surrender peacefully. Do to the fact that this was a fluid hostage situation the LBPD SWAT team was activated to respond.

Officers negotiated with the suspect for approximately 30 minutes but the suspect ignored their orders and continued threatening the victim. The suspect’s constant threatening behavior led to an officer involved shooting, so the victim could be rescued.

One officer fired their weapon striking the suspect in the upper torso which had an immediate effect, allowing officer’s to enter the residence and rescue the hostage. Officers also started administering life saving measures to the suspect.

LBFD medics were already staged in the area before the officer involved shooting occurred, they took over lifesaving efforts and transported the suspect to a local hospital where he is listed in critical condition.

No officers were injured in the incident. The stabbing victim was transported to a local hospital where she is listed in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. The hostage was treated at the scene with minor injuries.

The investigation by detectives found that the relationship between the hostage, the stabbing victim and the suspect is that they are all friends, and not in a dating relationship.

The Police Department thoroughly reviews all use of force incidents through a rigorous multi-step process that evaluates legal, policy, tactical, and equipment issues. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation of the shooting, as they do with all officer involved shootings that occur in Los Angeles County that result in injury or death.

The Long Beach Homicide Detail investigates all officer involved shootings. This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Long Beach homicide Detectives at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smart phone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting http://www.lacrimestoppers.org/