Tustin police shoot suicidal man who fired gun during standoff

Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Police shoot suicidal man who fired gun during standoff
A suicidal man shot at officers during a standoff in Tustin, prompting police to return fire, authorities said.

TUSTIN, Calif. (KABC) -- A suicidal man shot at officers during a standoff in Tustin, prompting police to return fire, authorities said.

Tustin police officers responded to the 16200 block of Main Street at around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a call about a suicidal person.

When officers arrived on scene, they found a man in a car parked in an alley near an apartment complex.

When contacted by police, the man displayed a handgun and refused to comply with police orders.

The situation escalated into a standoff, during which the man fired his weapon while inside the car, police said. Shortly thereafter, an officer-involved shooting occurred, and the man was struck by gunfire.

It is unclear how many officers fired at the man.

First aid was rendered, and the man was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition.

"All I remember hearing is like them arguing for a bit, and then the argument stopped, then there were moments of silence for a bit, then like 30 minutes later, you just hear six shots," described Andie Chaves, a witness.

Chaves said he also heard the officers telling the man to put the car in park, because the vehicle was still in gear with the man's foot on the brake. That order came before any shots were fired.

No one else was hurt during the incident. Per protocol, the Orange County District Attorney's Office is investigating the shooting.