Suspect Dies After Clash With Police

An unruly suspect died Saturday night in Van Nuys after being shot by police with a bean-bag shotgun, authorities said.

According to a representative of the Los Angeles Police Department, the death occurred after police were called about 10:30 p.m. to a building in the 13900 block of Valerio Street, where a suspected burglar or prowler was reported.

The officers said they found a man in front of the building, “yelling incoherently in Spanish” and brandishing two metal poles.

Police gave this account in a statement released Sunday:

Identifying themselves as police in English and Spanish, officers ordered the man to put his hands over his head. Instead, the suspect threw rocks at the officers and continued to yell and swing the poles. The officers called for backup and a supervisor. The suspect then “charged the officers with the poles above his head,” according to the statement.

The suspect failed to stop as ordered and one of the officers fired a bean-bag round. As the suspect fled west on Valerio Street, the officer fired another round at him.

According to the statement, “the rounds appeared to have no effect.”

The suspect hid in a nearby yard, where he was approached by the officers.

Again ordered to place his hands over his head, the suspect charged at one of the officers while brandishing one of the poles, the statement said. One of the officers fired two bean-bag rounds at the suspect, striking him in the face and upper body.

When an officer approached the downed suspect and tried to handcuff him, the suspect fought with the officer and tried to bite her, the statement said.

The sergeant on the scene ordered the officers to swarm the man to subdue him. He continued to kick at the officers after he was handcuffed and a hobble restraint was used on him. At that point, the statement said, “the suspect was taken into custody without further incident.”

An ambulance was called to the scene. While awaiting the ambulance, the suspect, who had been placed on his side, began to have difficulty breathing.

Fire Department paramedics responding to the call tried to resuscitate the man but he was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m.

Police, who did not release the dead man’s name, said they are investigating.