Police shoot and kill man who allegedly shot at LAPD helicopter in Reseda
Los Angeles Police Department officers shot and killed a man who allegedly fired shots at a department helicopter in Reseda on Sunday.
They were called to the area near Reseda and Victory Boulevards just before 6 p.m. after learning of a man who was firing off shots, LAPD said.
"The comments of the call indicated the suspect was trespassing, while armed with a handgun, and shouting obscenities," said a press release shared on Tuesday.
Upon arrival, they established a perimeter to search for the suspect and found the man. They saw as he ran into an apartment complex in the area.
"An LAPD airship was overhead and reported that the suspect appeared to fire his handgun at the airship," said a post on X from LAPD. "At this point in the investigation it doesn't appear the airship was struck by the suspect's gunfire."
After this, police say that the man ran into an alley at the back of the complex where he came in contact with officers.
"The officers ... ordered him to drop his weapon. The suspect refused to comply and a 40mm Less-Lethal Launcher (LLL) was discharged toward the suspect was ineffective," the release said. "The suspect then pointed his handgun at the officers."
It was then that they opened fire.
"During the incident, the suspect fired multiple rounds at officers," they further said.
He was declared dead at the scene by paramedic and has not yet been identified.
LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh said that investigators are still talking to people in the area as they try to determine who the suspect is and why he was in the area.
No other injuries were reported in the incident.
Reseda and Victory Boulevards were expected to be closed for hours as the investigation continued.
Police say there is no outstanding threat to the community and that they recovered a 6-cylinder Smith & Wesson revolver at the scene. It allegedly had six fired cartridge casings inside.
