LOS ANGELES—A 31-year-old man allegedly armed with a knife at a pharmacy in the Westlake district was shot by Los Angeles Police Department officers with a less lethal projectile as officers attempted to disarm him before taking him into custody, police said May 20.
Officers responded to the 1700 block of West Sixth Street, between Union and Burlington avenues, around 9 p.m. Saturday regarding a disturbance at a pharmacy, where a man was armed with a knife and arguing with customers, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Upon further investigation, police identified the man as Shalon Smith, who allegedly raised the knife and took a step toward officers after refusing multiple commands to drop the weapon, resulting in the discharge of a beanbag shotgun.
“The projectile struck Smith in the abdominal area, causing him to immediately fall to the floor. Smith disarmed himself, and a team of officers took him into custody without further incident,” police said in a statement.
Mr. Smith was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted robbery after being taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries he sustained when he was struck by the beanbag, police said.
No officers or bystanders sustained any injuries during the less lethal shooting, and police recovered a black folding knife with a 3-inch blade at the scene, police said.
LAPD Force Investigation Division personnel are conducting an investigation.
