Officers Kill Man Who Pointed Rifle, Police Say
A Huntington Beach police officer shot and killed a man who allegedly pointed a rifle at him after a short foot chase early Saturday.
Two officers on patrol on Ash Street approached the man about 1:40 a.m., suspicious because he was peering into a parked car, according to a news release issued by Huntington Beach police.
“He was by a vehicle, looking into it. They thought perhaps he was going to break in,” said Lt. Dan Johnson. “When they went to talk to him, he ran away.”
The officers who gave chase did not realize the man was armed with a rifle until they caught up with him, Johnson said.
Police shot the man in the upper torso an unknown number of times. He died a short time later at UC Irvine Medical Center.
The officers were not injured. Their names were being withheld, in keeping with department policy, Johnson said.
The victim’s name was not immediately released.
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