Man dead, officer injured as gunfire exchanged with police on steps of Long Beach church

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- An armed suspect was killed and an officer was injured in an exchange of gunfire at the end of a lengthy police standoff on the steps of a Long Beach church Tuesday.

The suspect had been sitting on the steps of the Iglesia de Cristo Miel on Atlantic Avenue in a standoff with officers for more than two hours before the gunfire erupted.

It appeared officers deployed a flash-bang grenade and rubber bullets in addition to live ammunition. Police said four officers opened fire and 10 rounds were fired.

It wasn't immediately clear how many bullets the suspect fired, but an officer was struck in the arm by a round and brought to a local hospital for treatment, then later released.

An armed suspect was killed and an officer was injured in an exchange of gunfire at the end of a lengthy police standoff on the steps of a Long Beach church Tuesday.

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.

The incident first unfolded around 3:15 p.m. when officers were called to the area on a report of a man with a gun, according to Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish.

A hostage negotiator, mental evaluation team and SWAT personnel 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," Hebeish said. "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 near the suspect's body.

A man who claims to know the suspect told Eyewitness News he believes police should've handled the situation differently, despite the circumstances.

When asked why the suspect would have a gun, Trayvon Richmond responded: "I didn't even know he had a gun... This is a dangerous area. A lot of people get shot and killed around here so he probably had it for his protection."

A woman was also detained for approaching officers at a critical time during the incident. It is unclear what her role was or whether she was arrested.

"Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep our community safe," Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement posted on X. "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.