The incident began about 4:30 a.m., when officers responded to a call of a possibly suicidal man in the area of Victory Boulevard and Gaviota Avenue, according to Josh Rubenstein of the Los Angeles Police Department.
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Officers found the man waving the gun in an alley and the officer-involved shooting occurred shortly afterward, Rubenstein said.
Authorities initially said the suspect was struck by police gunfire and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was in stable condition.
No officers were injured in the shooting. A witness said he heard about seven gunshot during the ordeal.
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"I heard what I thought were gunshots, so I wondered if it was more fireworks. I wasn't really sure, but it sounded different," said Lake Balboa resident Jerry Zemlicka.
Detectives were looking into whether the incident was a suicide-by-cop attempt.
An investigation was ongoing, and a handgun was recovered at the scene, police said.