Video has emerged of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Swat officers shooting from a helicopter and killing an armed home invasion suspect in Sunland on Monday.
According to the Los Angeles Times, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said a woman alleged that she woke up to an intruder in her home. She fled out of a window and called police. When officers arrived, the suspect had armed himself, and a five-hour standoff followed. A SWAT team was called in as officers attempted to negotiate with the suspect, but negotiations failed.
Beck said the home was on a hill and was “surrounded by bushes and debris,” making the SWAT team’s job difficult. Moreover, the suspect was using the elevated position to his advantage, shooting at the officers when they got close or came into sight. So the decision was made to bring in the helicopter.
Officers then fired tear gas into the home, and the suspect was shot when he ran outside to get away from the gas. He exited the house about 2:45 pm:
Officers on the ground and air fired on the suspect simultaneously. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that the man fell under the barrage of fire and “tumbled down a ravine.” He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to KTLA, Chief Beck said “an autopsy would reveal how many times the 29-year-old [suspect] was struck by gunfire” and whether it was from officers on the ground or those in the air.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.