W. Covina Officer Fatally Shoots Armed Robbery Suspect

A West Covina police officer shot and killed a masked, fleeing armed robbery suspect who pointed a loaded handgun at him, authorities said Tuesday.

The 29-year-old man, who was not identified, was shot in the upper body after he reportedly pulled out a 9-millimeter pistol as the officer sought to detain him, said Lt. Richard Longshore of the county Sheriff’s Department.

The man was shot multiple times in the 18000 block of Elizondo Street, in an unincorporated area bordering West Covina. A coroner’s spokesman said the man’s identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Longshore said the man robbed a Subway sandwich store, firing his gun once, about 9:40 p.m. Monday. No one was hurt.

Although unaware of the robbery, West Covina officers passing by in a patrol car saw the man wearing the mask -- made from a garbage bag -- running from a shopping center near Nogales Street and East La Puente Road, Longshore said.

Other officers were called to surround the area. As the net closed on him, the suspect, still wearing the disguise, encountered an officer. Authorities said that he resisted, and that during the ensuing struggle the officer used a martial arts maneuver to knock him down.

“Once on the ground on his back, the suspect pulled out a handgun from his waistband and pointed at the officer, who fired his weapon,” Longshore said. The officer was not identified.

A loaded, semiautomatic pistol was recovered at the scene, Deputy Scott Gage said.