Officers responded to reports of a man with a gun shortly after midnight at Western Avenue and 9th Street.
Los Angeles police tweeted that the suspect pointed what looked like a handgun at responding officers, and an officer-involved shooting occurred.
The suspect was struck by gunfire and transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
No officers were injured.
Investigators were looking into what led up to the officer opening fire on the suspect and whether the handgun is real or a replica.