Crenshaw police standoff: Suspect shot, killed by police

CRENSHAW, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An hours-long standoff in Crenshaw ended in the shooting death of a suspect who held a woman and two children hostage.

The standoff ended around 1 a.m. Wednesday. Los Angeles police said the 27-year-old man who had been holed up in the home was shot and killed by officers. The victims were not harmed.

The incident started shortly before 7:00 p.m. Tuesday on the 1700 block of Don Ricardo Drive. Authorities said the man got into an altercation with his ex-girlfriend. He allegedly brandished a knife, and she called police. The man then held the woman and her two children, ages 3 and 6, hostage.

Officials said they tried to negotiate with the suspect for hours to get him to surrender peacefully. Police said the suspect was armed but they wouldn't say with what.

"Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. For the safety of the children, they made the decision to enter the location, where an officer-involved shooting occurred," said Sgt. Rudy Lopez with the LAPD.

Family members were in disbelief of the situation.

"He was actually a nice man, so that's why I'm saying he had to be on something, because that was a good man, " said Delores Tannan, the victims' grandmother. "But my thing is right now, my heart hurts, and the only concern I have right now is my grandkids."

It remains unclear where the children were when their father was killed. Crisis counselors spent the morning with the mother and children while investigators scoured the scene, piecing together the final moments of the standoff.

Police have not yet identified the man, pending notification of kin.

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