Officers Shoot at Robbery Suspect But He Escaped

The Long Beach Police SWAT Team was searching for a suspect in the robbery of a pizza delivery man at gunpoint and shot at by an officer Sunday night, police officials said.

The suspect is believed contained inside a perimeter near downtown, a police sergeant said. The armed robbery was reported at 7:52 p.m. near 10th Street and Atlantic Boulevard, according to Sgt. Aaron Eaton of the Long Beach Police Department.

The suspect, armed with a handgun, robbed the delivery man of his wallet, pizzas and cellphone then fled the scene on foot, Eaton said.

``Officers arrived on the scene and a foot pursuit followed,'' Eaton said. ``During the pursuit an officer-involved shooting occurred.''

Eaton said the suspect remained at large, and it was unknown if he was injured by the gunfire. The perimeter was bounded by Martin Luther King Boulevard on the east, Atlantic Boulevard on the west, 7th Street on the south and Anaheim Street on the north, Eaton said.

Although close to St. Mary Medical Center, the perimeter was not affecting hospital operations, he said. No officers were injured in the shooting.

Earlier story:

Police fired shots at a suspect who allegedly robbed a pizza deliveryman at gunpoint Sunday night in Long Beach, but the robber ran away and escaped, police said. It was not known if the police gunfire struck him.

The armed robbery was reported at 7:52 p.m. near the 1800 block of Anaheim Street, according to Sgt. Aaron Eaton, spokesman for the Long Beach Police Department.

The suspect, armed with a handgun, allegedly robbed the delivery man, then ran away, according to Eaton.

``Officers arrived on the scene and a foot pursuit followed,'' Eaton said. ``During the pursuit an officer-involved shooting occurred.''

Eaton said the suspect remained at large, and it was unknown if he was injured by the gunfire. The Long Beach SWAT team was on the scene continuing the search, he said. No officers were injured in the shooting.