When officers took off handcuffs they say vandalism suspect picked up chair and began swinging, and then reached for a gun during struggle

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A man brought to a hospital after attacking police was shot dead by a Los Angeles officer in the emergency room after he swung a metal stool and grabbed for an officer’s gun, authorities said.

Ruben José Herrera, 26, of Torrance, died on Saturday afternoon at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in suburban Los Angeles, the county coroner’s office said on Sunday.

Authorities brought Herrera to the hospital to get checked out after he “viciously attacked” two officers sent to investigate reports of a man throwing bottles at an apartment complex and fighting with his neighbors on Saturday morning, police commander Phil Tingirides said.

During the initial struggle, Herrera kicked and punched the officers and knocked a stun gun out of one officer’s hand, Tingirides said. More officers were called, and they subdued Herrera.

When he was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, Herrera was initially cooperative with two officers assigned to take him into custody.

He was handcuffed to a gurney, Tingirides said. After medical staff cleared Herrera to be taken to jail, officers briefly unshackled him from the gurney to handcuff him again for transport, lieutenant John Jenal said.

That was when the man picked up the metal stool and began swinging it, Tingirides said.

Nurses and doctors in the emergency room told investigators that one of the officers tried to subdue the man with a stun gun, but it wasn’t effective. When Herrera tried to reach for an officer’s gun, the officer’s partner shot him, the witnesses said.

“One round was fired,” Tingirides said.

The hospital staff immediately began to treat Herrera’s gunshot wound, but he died in the emergency room, Tingirides said.