Suspect Fatally Shot By LAPD Officers In Van Nuys
VAN NUYS (CBSLA) – A 40-year-old man was fatally shot by Los Angeles police officers in Van Nuys Saturday afternoon.
The shooting occurred in the area of Victory Boulevard and Tyrone Avenue sometime before 1:30 p.m. outside of a church that serves food to homeless people.
The suspect was taken to a hospital in unknown condition, the L.A. Fire Department confirmed. Saturday afternoon officials said the suspect was dead.
No officers were hurt.
A 45-year-old woman was also transported to a hospital from the scene. Her condition was unknown as of Saturday night. Another woman was injured in the attack and also transported to the hospital with knife wounds but was treated and released.
Witnesses told CBSLA's Chris Holmstrom that they saw the suspect holding a chair and a knife with blood all over it.
One witness said people were trying to push him with the chair but the man was not letting up.
When police arrived they tried to get him to drop the knife but witnesses say he didn't listen and grabbed the woman.
"He grabbed her around the neck with his left arm and put the knife to her throat," said witness James Shepard. "You could see her hands were bloody. The officers told him to drop the knife and step back. They told him four times 'drop the knife. Drop the knife. Drop the knife. Drop the knife.' And then 'boom, boom, boom.' "
"The officers felt that he was going to kill that victim," said LAPD Commander Alan Hamilton. "So they took immediate action and an officer-involved shooting occurred. Unfortunately at that time both the suspect and the victim were stuck by gunfire from our officers."