An investigation was continuing today into the death of a man who was carrying a sledgehammer as he climbed over a fence at a Long Beach elementary school, where he was quickly confronted and detained by a group of bystanders.
Long Beach police said officers initially responded around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to the 6700 block of Orizaba Avenue, between Paramount Boulevard and Obispo Avenue, near the Artesia (91) Freeway, on a report of a home invasion, but they were quickly redirected to McKinley Elementary School near Paramount Boulevard and 68th Street.
Police said a man a sledgehammer had climbed a fence and entered the school’s parking lot.
As the suspect attempted to enter the campus, he was pulled down and detained by a group of men, police said. Arriving officers found the suspect still being detained by one of the men, and placed the suspect in handcuffs.
According to police, the suspect became unresponsive moments after the arrest and officers began administering life-saving measures until the arrival of Long Beach Fire Department paramedics, who pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.
The cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, police said.
Police said because the suspect died while handcuffed, the situation is being investigated as an in-custody death by homicide detectives.
But police insisted there was no use of force during the arrest. It was unclear if he may have been injured prior to officers’ arrival.
