A man who was brandishing what turned out to be a BB gun at a Long Beach Metro station was struck and wounded when officers opened fire Wednesday night, police said.
Officers were called to the Pacific Avenue Station on West 5th Street and Pacific Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. regarding multiple reports of a man brandishing a firearm on the platform, the Long Beach Police Department stated.
The suspect exited the platform and tried to run when officers arrived and attempted to contact him.
“Officers engaged him in a foot pursuit, at which point an officer-involved shooting occurred,” LBPD spokesperson Allison Gallagher said.
Video recorded moments after the shooting showed officers approach the wounded suspect and kick what appeared to be a weapon away from him.
“We did recover a replica firearm,” Gallagher said.
Police later specified that it was “an operable BB pistol with CO2 cartridge and BBs.”
Officers rendered medical aid for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his upper body until the suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and medically cleared.
He was later identified by the LBPD as Tyrell Harris, a 35-year-old transient.
“The suspect has since been transported to Long Beach City Jail where he is currently being booked,” Gallagher said.
He was booked on three counts of making criminal threats, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of obstruction and resisting arrest and one count of exhibiting an imitation firearm.
He also is being held without bail on an unrelated felony warrant, police said.
The Metro station was closed for several hours after the shooting but was back open early Thursday morning.
No details about the suspect’s identity or why he was at the Metro station have been released.
No officers were injured in the incident.