Los Angeles, California – What began as a single emergency call about a man behaving erratically on a busy Los Angeles street corner escalated into a tense, life-or-death encounter between police and a suspect carrying a metal pipe that looked like a shotgun. The incident, which occurred near the intersection of Western Avenue and Washington Boulevard, ended when Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers fired on the man after he refused repeated commands to drop what they believed to be a firearm.
The 911 Call That Triggered the Response
Shortly before officers arrived, a 911 dispatcher received a frantic call from a witness who described the suspect as a white male with long hair, dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans. The caller reported that the man appeared to be transient or homeless, and was pointing what looked like a “mini shotgun” at passing cars near a McDonald’s
Los Angeles, California – What began as a single emergency call about a man behaving erratically on a busy Los Angeles street corner escalated into a tense, life-or-death encounter between police and a suspect carrying a metal pipe that looked like a shotgun. The incident, which occurred near the intersection of Western Avenue and Washington Boulevard, ended when Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers fired on the man after he refused repeated commands to drop what they believed to be a firearm.
The 911 Call That Triggered the Response
Shortly before officers arrived, a 911 dispatcher received a frantic call from a witness who described the suspect as a white male with long hair, dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans. The caller reported that the man appeared to be transient or homeless, and was pointing what looked like a “mini shotgun” at passing cars near a McDonald’s
The Confrontation on Western Avenue
Officers responding to Western Avenue encountered a man holding what appeared to be a shotgun. They issued repeated commands—“Drop it!”—but he refused, moving into the intersection and appearing to reload. After tense minutes, gunfire erupted.
Once subdued, officers discovered the object was not a firearm but a metal pipe, shaped like a sawed-off shotgun. The suspect was hospitalized; his condition remains undisclosed. The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division, the Inspector General, and the District Attorney’s Office are reviewing the shooting, which has reignited debates over police decision-making, mistaken weapons, and the urgency of de-escalation tactics.
