Police shoot man allegedly armed with sharp object shot in Koreatown

A suspect was left in critical condition Friday morning after being hit by gunfire during a police shooting in Koreatown.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to the 800 block of S. Vermont Avenue around 7:15 a.m. after receiving a call about a man armed with a “sharp object.”

“The suspect was described in this call as an adult male armed with a sharp object. When officers arrived at the 800 block of S. Vermont, they encountered this suspect, made contact with him, and that’s when an officer-involved shooting occurred,” LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said.

The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was rushed to hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Police said another person was injured in the shooting. Several business owners believe the suspect broke the window of a store and that the sharp object he was carrying was a large piece of broken glass.

The LAPD would not say what exactly happened when officers first approached the man, or why they felt the need to open fire on a suspect who was allegedly holding a large shard of glass, but the entire encounter is now under investigation.

“Part of the force’s investigative team needs to look at the officer’s body-worn video, look for any other video that might be here, get statements from those officers, as well as any other witnesses that might have been here at that time,” Bland said.

Meanwhile, some nearby residents were surprised to see the sprawling crime scene, which spanned several blocks between 8th Street and Olympic.

The incident remains under investigation.