An officer-involved shooting in South Los Angeles has left a man in critical condition after he allegedly pointed a BB gun at police, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. The LAPD confirmed that their Force Investigation Division is looking into the shooting which took place in the 77th Division on the afternoon of March 7th.
LAPD News: Officer-Involved Shooting in 77th Division pic.twitter.com/5rvyI9mIsm
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) March 10, 2024
The incident began when officers from the 77th Division responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call near 54th Street and Manhattan Place, where suspect Jose Robles was said to have brandished a handgun at an unidentified individual, according to a statement released by the LAPD. Later, while attending to an unrelated call close to 54th Street and Gramercy Place, the officers allegedly spotted Robles walking in Chesterfield Square Park and immediately identified him as the possible assault suspect.
When the officers attempted to detain Robles, he reportedly failed to heed their commands to drop what was perceived to be a handgun, and in a confrontation that ensued, pointed the weapon towards the officers which led to the officer-involved shooting, as detailed in the department's news release.
After being shot, Robles dropped the alleged firearm, which was later identified as a BB gun resembling a semi-automatic pistol, complete with a removable magazine; he then collapsed and was promptly taken by the Los Angeles Fire Department to a local hospital, the LAPD PIO reported. The police further stated that there were no injuries to any officers or other members of the community because of this event, the BB gun was recovered at the scene, and the investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
As Robles remains hospitalized in critical condition, the shooting has sparked an internal investigation, which is standard procedure for any officer-involved shooting, in order to determine the full circumstances of the event which still appear to be fluid as additional evidence comes to light.
