Man suspected of pointing gun at head killed in officer-involved shooting in Westlake district

WESTLAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man said to be pointing a gun at his head was killed in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday night in the Westlake district of Los Angeles.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer with the Rampart division put out a radio call for assistance and the shooting occurred a short time after in the area of 3rd and Witmer streets.

Witnesses told Eyewitness News that the suspect was holding a gun to his head when officers first arrived. They also said the officers first fired nonlethal rounds before the fatal shooting.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was asked to put the weapon down as they called for backup.

One witness said the suspect kept saying "shoot me" and pointing the gun at his head.

Officers fired the nonlethal bean bag rounds, but the man went across the street and the shooting occurred.

"He was armed with a handgun. Anytime you have an individual armed with a handgun and not complying with the officer's command, that's dangerous not only for the officers but also you can see a lot of people on the street. It's dangerous for everybody here," Sgt. Barry Montgomery said.

The suspect was pronounced dead. Investigators said they recovered a gun at the scene.

It was unclear how many officers were involved in the shooting or how many times the suspect was shot.

Montgomery said all of the officers had a dashcam and body cameras, which will be reviewed in the investigation.

Authorities said it did not appear that suspect fired his weapon.