Man dead after standoff on church steps with Long Beach police; 1 officer injured

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- An armed man is dead after exchanging gunfire with officers at the end of a lengthy standoff on the steps of a Long Beach church Tuesday.

The suspect was sitting on the steps of the Iglesia de Cristo Miel on Atlantic Avenue in a standoff with officers for more than two hours when they opened fire.

The suspect curled up on the steps and slowly appeared to lose consciousness. Officers approached and then began performing CPR for several minutes but were unable to revive him.

Long Beach Fire personnel declared the suspect dead at the scene.

One officer was struck by gunfire in the arm and treated at the scene by fire personnel. The officer was transported to the hospital for medical assistance and was later released.

According to the Long Beach Police Department's chief Wally Hebeish, officers responded to a call of a suspect with a gun in front of the church at around 3:15 p.m.

A hostage negotiator, mental evaluation team and SWAT responded to assist the officers with the uncooperative suspect in an effort to de-escalate the situation.

"The officers were extremely patient. This speaks to de-escalation and you hear that over and over again," said Chief Hebeish. "They tried to do everything they could to resolve this situation safely. That's what they are trained to do and that's what they did tonight".

A firearm was recovered at the scene.

A woman was also detained for approaching officers during a critical incident. It is unclear what her role in the incident was.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson issued the following statement on X:

"I have been informed by Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish that an officer was shot while responding to a call earlier tonight. Thankfully, the officer is in stable condition with minor injuries, is in good spirits, and is expected to make a full recovery. This incident occurred in the vicinity of 52nd Street and Atlantic Avenue. The suspect was determined deceased at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing. Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep our community safe. I commend and thank each of them for their bravery and dedication".

Long Beach police closed Atlantic Avenue in both directions between 52nd Street and Market Street as the investigation continued.