Differing Account of LBPD Shooting of Ismael Lopez

Whether a Long Beach police officer was justified in fatally shooting Ismael Lopez, 29, Friday night remains under investigation internally and, as is standard, by the L.A. County District Attorney and Coroner's Office.

But residents of the immediate neighborhood where he was killed suggest he was unarmed, unable to grip a knife that police say was found near his path, and unable to run, having been crippled in a fight prior to him serving prison time. But none of that would have been a factor in the shooting, anyway, according to Jackie G., who's mother owns the fourplex beside where Lopez was shot.

Long Beach police have said that officers were called to the scene of unknown trouble and heard reports of a stabbing and a gang fight outside a nearby store. The press release says that an officer, who was not described or named, as is the department's custom, fired at a fleeing suspect in the reported stabbing. Although no weapon has been located, there was a knife found in the path that he had fled, police said in the press release.

Jackie G asserted that Ismael walked into the general area well after a double stabbing took place in front of Superior grocery store, and behind her mother's garages, in an area near the corner of East 10th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.

Patch will have a fuller account of that story later today (it's 2:45a.m.), when we have an opportunity to ask police for comment. Here's Patch's prior story based largely on the police release.

Story corrected from cutting object to knife.