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A suspect was critically wounded Wednesday after allegedly fleeing a DUI and road rage incident involving a Long Beach Fire Department ambulance that was transporting a patient, prompting a SWAT response and a large police presence near UCI Medical Center.
Long Beach police said officers responded at about 10:07 a.m. to reports of a possible DUI and road rage incident involving an ambulance carrying a patient.
Officers located the suspect vehicle, which led officers on a pursuit before coming to a stop near the intersection of Catella and Cherry Street. The suspect then fled on foot while armed with a machete, according to the Long Beach Police Department. A perimeter was established, and SWAT officers were called in as authorities searched the area.
During the incident, an officer from an outside law enforcement agency was involved in a shooting, police said. Long Beach police said none of its officers were involved in the shooting and referred additional questions to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, which is investigating the incident.
Law enforcement officers respond after a machete-wielding suspect led police on a pursuit and was critically wounded in an officer-involved shooting near UCI Medical Center. July 2026. (Citizen) Law enforcement officers respond after a machete-wielding suspect led police on a pursuit and was critically wounded in an officer-involved shooting near UCI Medical Center. July 2026. (Citizen) Law enforcement officers respond after a machete-wielding suspect led police on a pursuit and was critically wounded in an officer-involved shooting near UCI Medical Center. July 2026. (Citizen)
According to the Los Alamitos Police Department, officers attempted to de-escalate the situation using a crisis negotiation team before deploying less-lethal rounds. Police said the suspect then ran toward officers while carrying the machete, prompting officers to open fire.
The Los Alamitos Police Department said it was assisting Long Beach police with the response near UCI Medical Center and urged the public to avoid the area while officers remained on scene.
The suspect, believed to be a man in his 40s, was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Authorities have not identified the outside agency involved in the shooting or publicly identified the suspect.
The circumstances that led to the reported road rage incident remain under investigation.
KTLA has reached out to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for additional information and will update this story as more details become available.
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