Man Faces Attempted Murder Charge in Code-Enforcement Shooting

A Long Beach code-enforcement inspector was shot just before 8 a.m. on July 5 while attempting to serve an inspection warrant at a residence in the 6100 block of John Avenue, police said.  A suspect was taken into custody after an hours-long standoff with police.

Police said in a statement that the suspect, who currently remains unnamed, faces charges of attempted murder and possible weapons violations. The victim also was not named by police.

Due to past problems between code-enforcement inspectors and the resident of this home, Long Beach police said they accompanied inspectors to serve the warrant at this home for its blighted condition.

While inspectors and police were in front, determining their course of action, a shot was fired and one of the inspectors was struck in the head, police said. The inspector was immediately transported to a local hospital by Long Beach police. 

As additional officers were arriving at the location, shots continued to be fired.  Police determined that a barricaded suspect situation had developed and activated the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT).

As a precaution, the Reverse 9-1-1 system was used to communicate with residences in the area and notify them that an active situation was taking place in their neighborhood and to remain inside their residences with their doors and windows locked.  In addition, several residences were evacuated and an emergency evacuation center opened at Jordan High School, police said.

With the assistance of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, SWAT was able to deploy a ballistic tactical vehicle into the residence. Several canisters of tear gas were deployed into the residence, according to police.  The suspect fired several more rounds while inside and repeatedly yelled out for officers to shoot him, police said.

At approximately 2:43 p.m., the suspect came out of the residence, and when he failed to comply with the officers’ orders, a police dog was deployed and the suspect was bitten, police said. SWAT officers were then able to safely take the suspect into custody, police said.  As a result of injuries sustained from the canine police dog, the suspect was transported to a local hospital, police said.  A rifle with a scope was discovered during a subsequent search of the residence.

Once the man is cleared from the hospital, he will be transported to the Long Beach City Jail for booking on suspicion of attempted murder and possible weapons violations, police said.

The injured code enforcement inspector sustained a non life-threatening injury and is expected to make a full recovery, police said. No one else on scene was injured during the incident.

Long Beach police thanked San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach Fire Department, and the City of Long Beach Departments of Public Works and Development Services for assistance and support.

Police said in a statement that they would also like "to thank the community members that reside in the neighborhood affected by today’s incident.  Their cooperation and understanding during an intense and unpredictable situation was truly appreciated."

Anyone who may have information regarding this incident is asked to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Hugo Cortes and Roger Zottneck at (562) 570-7244.  Anonymous tips may be submitted via text or web by visiting www.tipsoft.com.
 

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. July 5

An hours-long police standoff has come to an end in Long Beach. SWAT
officers fired tear gas into the home of a man suspected of shooting a city
code-enforcement officer on the morning of July 5. A police dog was sent in
to hold the man in place until officers could move in. The code-enforcement
officer was shot in the face but is expected to survive. — City News Service

MORE DETAILS:
Neighbors said the man, whose name was not immediately released by
police, had lived in the home for years with his mother, who recently died.

UPDATE, 1:14 p.m. July 5

A man who shot and wounded a code enforcement officer and barricaded himself in his North Long Beach home was in a protracted standoff with a Long Beach police SWAT team, police said.

The shooting happened about 8 a.m. in the 6100 block of John Avenue,
Nancy Pratt of the Long Beach Police Department said.

Long Beach police Chief Jim McDonnell said the wounded code enforcer was
hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, and was expected to survive.

"Code enforcement employees were ... attempting to serve an inspection
warrant at a blighted location,'' McDonnell told a media gathering as the
barricade was in progress nearby.  "This residence has been a problem for code
enforcement over the past few years.

"As inspectors and officers were in front of the location determining
their course of action, a shot was fired at that time,'' McDonnell said. "One
of the inspectors was struck in the head (and) went down. He was extracted by
the officer who was with him, and transported to a local hospital.''

Officers evacuated some neighbors from the area, and worked to arrest
the man. More shots were heard after the initial shooting, but no other injuries
were reported, McDonnell said. — City News Service

FIRST REPORT, JULY 5, A.M.: A man was shot and wounded today in North Long Beach, and a SWAT team was sent to arrest the suspect, who was barricaded inside a residence, police said.

The shooting happened about 8 a.m. in the 6100 block of John Avenue,
Nancy Pratt of the Long Beach Police Department said.

According to broadcast reports, the situation apparently began as a
dispute with a code-enforcement officer. Some media reported that the shot man was a city code-enforcement officer.

Paramedics transported the wounded man for hospital treatment, and he
was expected to survive, Pratt said. The standoff was continuing for several
hours afterward. — City News Service