A man was shot by Los Angeles police early Friday morning after officers say he raised what appeared to be a handgun during a traffic stop in South Los Angeles \u2014 a weapon later determined to be a replica torch lighter.<\/p>\n
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the officer-involved shooting happened around 3:34 a.m. Friday near the intersection of Gladys Avenue and 8th Street in the department\u2019s Newton Division.<\/p>\n
LAPD said officers from the Central Patrol Division had pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation and contacted the driver and front-seat passenger. During that interaction, officers noticed what they described as a pistol grip between the passenger\u2019s legs.<\/p>\n
Police said the passenger \u2014 later identified as 38-year-old Angel Elijah Cruz \u2014 was repeatedly<\/p>\n
ordered not to move or reach for the object. While officers were giving commands, dispatchers advised them that the vehicle had been reported stolen, and backup officers and a supervisor were called to the scene.<\/p>\n
Despite repeated commands, Cruz allegedly raised the pistol-grip object toward officers, prompting them to open fire, police said.<\/p>\n
Cruz was then removed from the vehicle and taken into custody without further incident before he was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for gunshot wounds and survived, according to LAPD.<\/p>\n
Investigators later determined the object Cruz raised was a replica handgun-style torch lighter, not a real firearm. The item was recovered at the scene and booked into evidence.<\/p>\n
Cruz was booked on suspicion of drawing or exhibiting an imitation firearm, police said. The driver was also taken into custody without incident. No officers or bystanders were injured.<\/p>\n
LAPD\u2019s Force Investigation Division is investigating the shooting. Officials emphasized the investigation remains ongoing and that details could change as additional evidence is reviewed.<\/p>\n
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