Police shot and critically wounded a man near Griffith Park after he flagged officers down and raised his arm wrapped in a towel at the officers.
The shooting took place just after 6:30 p.m., Friday evening, on Griffith Park Boulevard near Tica Drive in Los Feliz. According to police, the man flagged down a patrol car and after he got the officers' attention he raised his arm, which was wrapped in a towel. "The officer exited the vehicle and said, 'Drop the gun, drop the gun,'" said LAPD Lt. John Jenal. A witness told NBC 4 he heard four gunshots.
No gun was recovered at the scene by police, according to the L.A. Times. There are conflicting reports on the description of the man, that say he is either in his 30s or 40s and is either white or Hispanic.
A passerby in a car on Los Feliz Boulevard took video of the shooting's aftermath, which shows the man with an apparent head wound being handcuffed by officers. The video below is extremely graphic.
The police investigation at the scene led to severe traffic on Los Feliz Boulevard during the rush hour, and the street wasn't fully reopened until 2 a.m. this morning.
