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Machete-Wielding Man Critically Wounded by Police Outside Orange County Hospital

A multi-agency shooting left the suspect in critical condition while investigators work to determine which officers fired and whether use of force followed policy.

Overview

  • The episode began when Long Beach officers saw a driver acting erratically while holding a machete and followed him in a pursuit that ended near UCI Health in Los Alamitos.
  • Officers and crisis negotiators tried to get the man to surrender and then fired less-lethal rounds before officers shot him after he advanced toward police with the weapon.
  • Multiple agencies including Los Alamitos, Long Beach and Cypress responded and officials say officers from at least two agencies fired but have not yet identified which shots were fatal.
  • The suspect was taken to UCI Medical Center in critical condition and was reported to be in surgery while the hospital campus remained on lockdown for several hours for safety.
  • An internal officer-involved shooting probe led by Los Alamitos police is underway and the case will be reviewed by prosecutors with investigators examining video, witness accounts and use-of-force procedures.