LAPD officers shoot, kill armed man in Echo Park [Updated]

Los Angeles police Tuesday afternoon shot and killed a heavily armed man who confronted officers during a traffic stop.

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., three officers patrolling the city’s Echo Park neighborhood came upon a suspicious-looking vehicle. A check of its license plate revealed that the car had been reported stolen and the suspected thief was thought to be armed and dangerous, said LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger.

The officers stopped the car in the 1600 block of Temple Street, where the suspect exited and turned toward the officers; he was armed with an AK-47 assault rifle or similar weapon, Paysinger said. Two officers opened fire, killing the man, he said.

Paysinger said that along with the rifle, a handgun was discovered in the man’s back pocket.

It was not immediately known if the suspect fired on the officers, Paysinger said, and investigators were working to determine details of the pursuit and the shooting.

Aerial news photographs appeared to show a black rifle on the ground next to the suspect’s body, which had been lifted by officials onto a gurney and covered with a sheet.

The name of the dead man has not been released.

The shooting occurred about a mile from the scene of another fatal shooting by police earlier this month. That incident, in which a man reportedly was armed with a knife and threatening passersby, sparked several days of protests and violent skirmishes between police and demonstrators.

Paysinger said there were no signs of unrest by onlookers Tuesday.

[Updated at 8:45 p.m.: At least 139 people in Los Angeles County have been killed by law enforcement officers since January 2007, according to coroner's data collected by The Times. Learn more about those cases in The Times' Homicide Report.]

-- Joel Rubin

Comments

[uuncle_vito]

I felt sorry for this guy missing until I read he was a Real Estate Broker.

Likely one of his ripped off clients.

[Laura Gee]

This story is what the officers WISHED had happened the other night...too coincidental.

[Crazy Horse]

Outstanding. Rock on, LAPD!!

[u know]

The LA Times will soon find a witness by the name of Anna who will say that she was across the street at the time of the this incident and that the suspect was not armed with an AK 47 and he was not a threat to the officers.

[jesse]

Another thug off the streets, and three good cops on the clock. No wonder we live in a broken down society. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

[All Hallows Eve]

Another job well done

[Michelle]

I wonder will there be another protest?

[Greg Maragos]

Kudos to the brave men and women of the L.A.P.D. They had hand guns. This dude had an automatic rifle.

[why]

Why couldn't they have just shot the gun out of his hands? Wyatt Earp did it?

[Adam]

"At least 139 people in Los Angeles County have been killed by law enforcement officers since January 2007, according to coroner's data collected by The Times."

That's something to stop and think about...

[bigpicture]

Outstanding job, brothers! Thank God you are going home safe tonight!

[KING]

Good work officers. No need to waste my money investigating and close the case and move on. I would defintely fire upon seeing anyone armed whether or not they intended to fire. The possession of an AK is illegal itself and should warrant an public execution.

[PC]

Suicide by cop if you ask me. Point a gun, unloaded or otherwise, at armed police is almost certain death.

[TheBigPicture]

Why couldn't the cops just shoot the rifle out of this man's hands...Do they have to gun down every person they stop...

just kidding...

I'm glad no officers were hurt...

[Obama_luvr]

Why didn't LAPD use rubber bullets instead?? Or just fired warning shots in the air to show they mean business..?? Too many are dying in the hands of the cops..

[David]

Couldn't they have hit him with their batons or sprayed him with mace? Are we going to have riots over this one too? Too bad he was so clearly armed--it takes all the rounds out of the Times' ammo pouches. Rock on brothers, and be careful out there!

[ela]

How long until the pictures with the "alleged" weapon disappear, and a "witness" claims this was just another case of police brutality? I find it very intriguing that when no race is revealed, no riot happens; but when the person shot is identified as a "day laborer", suddenly everyone is quick to claim racism, police brutality, and demand compensation??

[woof-woof]

Good job, officers. Any lack of skill, judgement, or decisiveness on their part and we'd be reading about two officers killed by a criminal with a battle rifle. I'm glad they're going home safe tonight.

[unoth]

"At least 139 people in Los Angeles County have been killed by law enforcement officers since January 2007,"
That can't be right and if it is then it's disgusting.
Do the math on that one. It comes to around 48 people a month for the past three years that have been gunned down by cops.
Im sure there were at least a few that truly deserved it but what about the others?
The drunk guy with the knife a few weeks ago? Did he really deserve to die?

And this is a city that lays off thousands of teachers while hiring more killer cops.

[LAAndre]

The LAPD may have prevented a bigger crime. Why did the guy need an AK and handgun?

[James Jackson]

Thanks for that number, which is nearly one citizen a week. Comparison with the number of citizens killed by cop per annum per 100,000 population in other larger cities, such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, and New York would elicit differences that might exist among the various police departments and indicate adjustments that might be needed in training methods. Of course, a corollary statistic would include the number of police killed in the given period. Other possible variables might include average income, age distribution, and population density, et cetera. Making such information public might be practical when the LAPD asks the public for more police or higher pay for them--or it might work against them.

[Matt]

Thank goodness the officers didn't hesitate to shoot because of the ruckus about the other recent publicized shooting. Sure, there are a few bad cops but I don't base my opinion on them. I applaud and appreciate these officers' willingness to put themselves in the line of fire, and even more appreciate the (from what we know) absolutely professional way they acted to protect our community and themselves.

[Ogre]

"Do the math on that one. It comes to around 48 people a month for the past three years that have been gunned down by cops."

Do the math? Actually...

48/mo * 44 months = 2,112 dead

139/44 = 3 criminals/month.

[Lou Bricano]

"LAPD officers shoot, kill armed man in Echo Park; chronic malcontents claim 'abuse', plan riot"

Headline the L.A. Times-and-Throwaway would run if it had a shred of integrity.

[No Thank You]

"'At least 139 people in Los Angeles County have been killed by law enforcement officers since January 2007,'
That can't be right and if it is then it's disgusting. Do the math on that one. It comes to around 48 people a month for the past three years that have been gunned down by cops ... And this is a city that lays off thousands of teachers while hiring more killer cops."

Unoth, Let's hope your math teacher was one of the ones let go. By your calculations, LAPD would have killed over 2,000 people! Sheesh.