The UCI Medical Center in Los Alamitos was placed on lockdown Wednesday after a pursuit suspect with a machete was shot by police officers following a pursuit.
The chase initially began at around 10: 30 a.m. in Long Beach after officers noticed a driver with a machete driving erratically, according to the Los Alamitos Police Department’s Support Services Manager Robert Acosta.
When the pursuit came to an end near the UCI Medical Center on Katella Avenue near Los Alamitos Boulevard in Los Alamitos, officers tried to detain the suspect. After crisis negotiators were not able to convince him to surrender, officers used non-lethal weapons, similar to bean bags, unsuccessfully, Acosta said.
The man then began moving toward the officers, which prompted police to open fire, police said. The suspect was taken to the UCI Medical Center in critical condition.
Because the Los Alamitos and Cypress police departments responded to the incident together, it was not immediately clear which agency fired the weapon, according to Acosta.
The officer-involved shooting investigation team with Los Alamitos police would be examining the incident.
The UCI hospital was not involved with the standoff or shooting, but police decided to issue a lockdown due to the proximity, Acosta explained.
The suspect’s identity was not immediately available.