An investigation is underway following a shooting involving South Gate police officers that left an armed robbery suspect dead in Walnut Park.
Police were called around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the intersection of Walnut Street and Seville Avenue. Officers arrived to investigate an armed robbery and located the alleged thief.
“He was in a vehicle. Once they tried to make contact with him, he produced a firearm, and an officer-involved shooting occurred. The male was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene,” said Lieutenant Daniel Vizcarra with the LA County Sheriff’s Department.
Police also said the armed robbery had happened several days before the shooting.
It’s unclear what prompted officers to shoot the man.
Two pistols and bullet shells were located next to the robbery suspect’s vehicle, according to authorities.
“When I looked at all the helicopters in the air, I knew that something serious had happened; someone died because the cops killed him,” said Walnut Park resident Edgar Moreno.
Neighbors in the area say they were shaken up by the shooting.
“It’s concerning because I live here in the area, right now it was here and I live here, they come here and we have families in the house, so it is worrying,” said Sandra Lopez, who lives nearby.
Details on the suspect were not immediately available. The shooting is still under investigation.
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