Suspect Reaches for Gun, Is Wounded by Officer
A policeman shot and wounded a man reaching for a gun in his waistband after leading officers on a brief chase, authorities said Monday.
The suspect, Salvador Perez Lopez, 21, of Compton was booked at the County-USC Medical Center jail ward on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. Sgt. John Faber said the shooting occurred after officers were summoned to investigate reports of an armed man threatening several people outside Big Time Liquor at 1516 S. Long Beach Blvd.
Lopez was found in an alley behind the store and officers chased him to the back yard of a house in the 16000 block of Kuzco Avenue, Faber said. Despite orders to freeze, Lopez allegedly continuing reaching for the gun in his waistband, prompting one of the officers to fire twice, hitting Lopez once in the foot.
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