An off-duty member of the Beverly Hills Police Department was involved in a fatal shooting while trying to break up a fight in the North Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles Thursday night.
The incident was reported around 8:15 p.m. on Roscoe Boulevard near the 405 Freeway.
Investigators determined an off-duty Beverly Hills officer witnessed a fight and stopped his vehicle to try to break it up.
The two males involved in the altercation were armed, including one with a pipe and the other with a handgun, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Brian Wendling said.
It was unclear why the two people were fighting and what led up to the shooting.
“We do not have all the facts at this point but there was an officer-involved shooting that occurred,” Wendling said.
The man with the gun was struck by gunfire and died at the scene.
The man with the pipe left the scene after the shooting but was found nearby and is in custody, Wendling said.
The officer was not injured and was cooperating with the investigation.
Wendling was asked if officers have a duty to intervene when they see an altercation on the street.
“We prefer our officers, if they’re off duty, if they can to be good witnesses but sometimes that’s not an option … If somebody’s life is in jeopardy you do have a duty to stop,” he said.
The identities of the two males involved in the altercation have not been released. It was unclear if either was homeless but Wendling said there are encampments nearby.
The Los Angeles Police Department is handling the investigation.