Man with pellet gun resembling gun shot, killed by LAPD near Elysian Park

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles police shot and killed a man near Elysian Park after he allegedly pointed a pellet gun that resembled a gun at officers Wednesday morning, officials said.

Police said the shooting happened after an LAPD officer was investigating a crash in the area of Broadway and Avenue 18 at about 11 a.m. A passerby approached the officer and reported seeing a man armed with what appeared to be a handgun down the street.

Additional officers arrived at the scene after a request for backup. They then approached the suspect.

LAPD said the man took out a handgun and pointed it at officers. Police opened fire at the man, striking him an unknown number of times.

Police initially said a handgun was recovered from the scene, but they later determined the weapon was a pellet gun.

"Further investigation revealed the hand gun was a pellet gun resembling a firearm," LAPD tweeted just before 6:30 p.m.

Paramedics were called to the scene and took the man to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.

No officers were injured in the shooting.

The California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced.

City News Service contributed to this report.