Officers shoot man allegedly armed near UCI Health in Los Alamitos

Officers shot a man allegedly armed with a machete during an incident involving two police agencies outside UCI Health in Los Alamitos on Wednesday, authorities said.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, officers responded at about 10:07 a.m. to reports of a possible driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol who was involved in an alleged road rage incident involving a Long Beach Fire Department vehicle transporting a patient.

Officers found the suspect, who then exited his vehicle and fled on foot. Officers with the Los Alamitos Police Department also responded to the scene, which culminated just outside UCI Health Los Alamitos.

Los Alamitos PD said officers tried to negotiate a peaceful surrender with the suspect.

"They were unsuccessful with those efforts," Los Alamitos PD spokesperson Robert Acosta said.

Law enforcement established a perimeter around the suspect. Video posted to The Citizen App showed a shirtless man holding a machete. At one point, officers shot at the man with what appeared to be less-than-lethal munitions.

"They then went to less-than-lethal, and that was unsuccessful," Acosta said. "The suspect started to run in the direction of the officers with his machete, and that's when the officers made the decision to fire."   

Officials said the man was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, where he remained in critical but stable condition after treatment.