A local officer has been involved in a no-hit shooting, according to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD).
On Feb. 10, at approximately 3:57pm, the incident occurred in the West Division after officers observed a vehicle make a traffic violation in the 2100 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Officers were going to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, but before they had a chance, the driver of the vehicle quickly stopped, according to police. The suspect/passenger immediately exited the vehicle with a handgun in his hand and began to run. He then stopped running, turned toward officers with the gun in his hand, and the officer-involved shooting occurred. It is not clear from the LBPD press release which party shot first.
The suspect then ran from officers, still armed with the handgun, and proceeded to hop over multiple fences in his attempt to flee. The officers’ observations of the suspect being armed with a handgun were confirmed by an independent witness, police said. The driver of the vehicle also fled the scene. Assisting units established a perimeter where the suspect was last seen, and the department’s SWAT Team was activated to conduct the search.
Just before 5pm, officers assisting on the call observed an altercation on the porch of a residence in the 1000 block of E. 21st Street. Realizing the resident was in a physical struggle with the possible suspect, officers arrested the suspect, and he was positively identified shortly thereafter. The suspect had entered the residence through a side door and was immediately confronted by the occupants who were in fear for their safety, police said. The home’s occupants struggled with the suspect to get him out of their house. Officers observed the confrontation and then took the suspect into custody.
Detectives later found the suspect’s gun within the area where he was last seen running. Officers were also able to locate the vehicle and the driver that were involved. They were found in the 400 block of N. Willow in Compton, and the car was impounded. The driver of the vehicle was interviewed by detectives and released.
The suspect has been identified as Cory Boyce, a 28-year-old resident of Bellflower. He was booked at the Long Beach Jail for: felon in possession of a firearm, prohibited possessor in possession of a firearm and residential burglary. He is being held without bail as a result of violating the terms and conditions of his post-release community supervision.
In a response to some increased shooting incidents, the department has been strategically deploying resources to combat violent crime in some West Division neighborhoods, according to the LBPD. As a result of these focused efforts and the efforts of area beat officers, 48 guns have been taken off the street year to date— a 6.7-percent increase compared to the same time period in 2015. The recovered guns do not include those that were taken for safekeeping. They were all used in some type of criminal activity. Of the guns recovered, 35.4 percent were taken off the streets from West Division, and 23 percent of those were found during evening hours.
The Long Beach Homicide Detail investigates all officer-involved shootings. This investigation remains ongoing. Those with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Homicide Detectives at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus the tip to CRIMES (274637), or visiting http://www.lacrimestoppers.org .
