Police Kill 2 Men in Separate Incidents

A Los Angeles police officer on Friday night fatally shot a man who allegedly drew a fake gun while being questioned during a drug investigation. In an unrelated incident early Saturday, a South Gate officer shot and killed a hit-and-run suspect who pulled a gun on him, authorities said.

In the first, a man was being questioned on Westlake Avenue near Maryland Street when an officer saw him pull out what appeared to be a small handgun, Detective Dennis Winters said. The officer fired four rounds. The suspect, whose identity was not released, died at County-USC Medical Center of multiple gunshot wounds. The weapon was later discovered to be a fake, Winters said.

The second incident began when an automobile fled after hitting a truck at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Firestone Boulevard, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Larry Lincoln. When a South Gate officer began pursuing the car, someone inside fired one shot, Lincoln said. The chase ended after about a mile, when the car stopped suddenly and a passenger fled.

As the officer approached the car, the driver raised a pistol, Lincoln said. The officer fired one shot and the unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene.