Coroner IDs man killed by CHP officer at Reagan State Building in downtown L.A.
The officer was uninjured, and the suspect has not yet been identified.
Authorities have identified the man who was shot and killed by a California Highway Patrol officer after he appeared to threaten bystanders with a concealed a weapon at the Ronald Reagan State Building in downtown Los Angeles.
Timothy Elam, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene following the shooting Wednesday, the Los Angeles County coroner said Thursday. The coroner said it was unclear where Elam was from.
The state building was closed to the public Wednesday morning, when officials say Elam followed an employee into the building just after 6 a.m. and kept his hands concealed in a bag.
Elam shouted at employees at a security checkpoint to “get down on the floor,” said CHP Sgt. Saul Gomez.
“He was taking an aggressive shooting stance,” and employees dropped to the ground, Gomez said.
That’s when a CHP officer confronted the man, the sergeant said, and Elam raised his hands toward the officer, who fired, fatally striking him. The officer was not injured.
“At that point, when the confrontation occurred between the CHP officer and the suspect, the CHP officer took it upon himself to make that decision that there was grave danger to the public and himself,” Gomez said.
Authorities believe up to five shots were fired.
After processing the scene for evidence, authorities found that Elam had been holding an aluminum can concealed within the paper bag, according to the CHP.
The CHP said investigators do not think Elam was from California, nor do they think he traveled to California to target the building.
Investigators were looking into the man’s past to determine whether he had “a gripe with anyone in the building,” Gomez said.
Employees in the building told a Los Angeles Times reporter Wednesday that the building’s entrance is equipped with security cameras that probably captured images of the incident. They said witnesses had indicated that the man yelled out that he had a gun.
The building houses the state’s 2nd District Court of Appeal, the California Department of General Services, an office for Gov. Jerry Brown and other state agencies.
To enter the building, employees have to pass through a security checkpoint and show credentials, Gomez said.
The CHP is responsible for securing the building and monitoring the safety of the public and employees, he said.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
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