A 37-year-old man who was shot and killed by Los Angeles police in San Pedro had tried to disarm at least one officer during what police called a “violent confrontation” inside an apartment on Wednesday night, Dec. 31, authorities said.
Lawrence Gonzales allegedly refused to turn around and place his hands behind his back after police found him inside the apartment in the 500 block of West 37th Street, police said Friday. Instead, they said, he physically resisted officers’ efforts to detain him and at least one officer opened fire after Gonzales tried to get a hold of one of their weapons.
Officers were called to the apartment about 9:40 p.m. New Year’s Eve on a report of unknown trouble and a possible restraining order violation, police said. As they arrived, a woman identified as the victim told police that the suspect was inside her apartment.
Following the shooting, the man was taken to a hospital, where he died. The two officers who confronted him were hospitalized with bruises and cuts as a result of the altercation, police said.
No other injuries were reported.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Force Investigation Division and the California Department of Justice are investigating the shooting. The Department of Justice typically investigates officer-involved shootings when the person was not armed.
How many officers opened fire and how many shots were fired were not disclosed.