Santa Ana police responding to a report of someone walking around with a shotgun killed the man before discovering the firearm was fake, the department announced Dec. 1.
The man, described by police as a Hispanic male in his 30s, was loading what appeared to be a shotgun, but police later found it was an airsoft gun, which shoots plastic pellets and is similar to a paintball gun.
The shooting was under internal and state investigations on Monday.
Because of the probes, police did not release the suspect’s name or details about what prompted officers to shoot him, according to department spokeswoman Natalie Garcia.
Emergency dispatchers received several calls from people in the area who reported a man loading a shotgun in the parking lot at Guadalajara Furniture store, located at 117 North Broadway near Second Street just before 5:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Garcia. Santa Ana is about 30 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
“Multiple officers arrived on scene, two of which shot their duty weapons at the suspect,” Garcia told The Epoch Times.
The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Both officers were placed on administrative leave, which is customary following an officer-involved shooting, according to Garcia.
No officers or bystanders were injured, the department reported.
The police internal affairs department will investigate, and the California Department of Justice will also review the incident.
“There is no evidence of any misconduct at the moment,” Garcia said.
