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May 18, 2008 7:18 am US/Pacific
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Man Killed In Long Beach OIS
LONG BEACH (AP) ―
Authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting in Long Beach that left a 46-year-old man dead.
Police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt says two officers responded Saturday night to calls about a man "behaving extremely erratic" on a neighborhood street. When they confronted the man, a fight broke out.
Pratt says that during the struggle, the officers feared for their safety and fired at him.
The man, whose name was withheld, died on the way to the hospital. Pratt said the man was of Samoan descent.
Pratt did not know what caused the officers to fear for their safety. But she did say the man was unfazed by repeated blows from police batons. Police speculated the man must have been drunk or high.
After the shooting, about 40 people reportedly threatened the officers, prompting them to call for backup.
Long Beach homicide detectives, and the Los Angeles County district attorney's office are investigating the incident.
Anyone who witnessed the incident was asked to call detectives Bryan McMahon or Patrick Dowd at 562-570-7244.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)