Early this morning, a tense standoff unfolded when a suspect barricaded himself inside a 7-Eleven store in Long Beach after an alleged armed robbery. According to the Long Beach Police Department, officers arrived on the scene in the 100 block of Pine Avenue around 2:03 a.m., following a distress flag from employees who had managed to escape the store.
As the situation escalated, the LBPD SWAT Team was called in to assist with the barricaded individual, causing significant road closures in the downtown area. KTLA reported that Broadway from Pacific Avenue to Long Beach Boulevard, and Pine Avenue from 1st Street to 3rd Street, was closed to the public due to police activity. As of early this morning, the standoff remained unresolved, and the suspect had refused to surrender.
The LBPD has not released much information about the suspect, only describing the individual as a male adult. No reports have confirmed whether any employees or passersby were injured during the robbery attempt, as the primary concern now is the resolution of the barricade incident. Officers on site continued negotiations, seeking a peaceful end to the crisis.
Footage shared with KTLA depicted a large armored SWAT vehicle positioning near the 7-Eleven, with multiple police cars already present. The use of a robot and at least one flash-bang device had been documented in an effort to induce the suspect to surrender, but these strategies had not yielded success by early morning. The standoff hindered the area’s morning commute, urging officials to ask the public to seek alternative routes.
Residents and businesses in the area were advised to stay indoors and await further instructions from law enforcement, as the LBPD and SWAT team continued to work towards a safe resolution. The public was advised to stay updated through official channels and news outlets as the situation progressed.
