HUNTINGTON BEACH – Two officers and one suspect were hospitalized with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds Thursday morning, Sept. 7, after police responded to reports of a man running about a neighborhood slashing car tires.

At least one of the police officers was been treated and released, with both suffering minor injuries.

“What matters is that they’re OK, and we can notify their families,” Chief Robert Handy said.

The suspect, whose name was not released, underwent surgery, the chief said at a press conference, while detectives searched the area for evidence and interviewed residents and other witnesses.

At 7:08 a.m., officers were called to Delaware Street and Utica Avenue.

An early overhead view of the scene where two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Morgan)

Detectives meet near the command post after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Neighbors take to social media after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

An officer watches the perimeter of an investigation after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Detectives meet at the perimeter of a scene where two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)



An officer watches the perimeter of an investigation after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Officers return to their cruisers during an investigation where two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Detectives meet near the command post after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chief Robert Handy holds a news conference after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cameras record Chief Robert Handy as he holds a news conference after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)



While holding his Jack Russell Terrier Rocky, resident Louis Gamboa listens as Chief Robert Handy holds a news conference after two officers and one suspect are hospitalized after a call for a man with a knife turned into an officer-involved shooting in Huntington Beach on Thursday morning. (Photo by Ken Steinhardt, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The suspect was running through the neighborhood, slashing tires on cars, the chief said: “One of the callers said that the suspect was yelling that he was a sharp shooter or something to that effect.”

At least four officers responded, finding the man in a walkway between two multi-family complexes, which is where the shooting occurred.

It was unclear how many officers fired, and how many shots they fired.

The suspect was hit by police gunfire. The chief said both officers were wounded by gunshots.

Handy did not say if the officers were injured by friendly fire, saying he didn’t want to speculate on what happened, adding that the investigation was on-going.

“The scenes get very chaotic and difficult for officers, and it’s really an example of the danger they face every day,” the chief said. “We are really blessed that they are OK.”

The chief said that a knife was found at the scene, and officers were searching for any other weapon.

Before 10 a.m., at least one of the injured Huntington Beach police officers was released from UCI Medical Center. A group of Huntington Beach and Anaheim officers stood outside the emergency department in support of their colleague.

As is standard in a police-involved shooting, an outside agency will investigate the incident. In this case, that agency will be the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The initial news about the officers’ injuries put the Hungtinton Beach Police Department on edge, said Officer Angela Bennett, the department’s spokeswoman.

“One of the most difficult things is to find out a fellow officer has been hurt,” she said. “We all band together as a family as we wait for news.”

John Sawyer lives just down Delaware Street from the incident and said he heard gunshots while getting his four children ready for their first day of the school year.

“I just heard pop-pop-pop,” he said. “When I went out to take them to school, I saw a guy on the ground.”

The man was wearing what looked like pajama pants and was getting medical aid.

Sawyer has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years and was surprised that something like that happened. He didn’t elaborate to his children what had happened, wanting to spare them from the grisly event.

Traci Kelley has friends and family who live in the neighborhood so she went to see what was happening after taking her kids to school.

She saw lots of police cars and thought it was a chase but then saw the ambulances.

“It’s very scary,” she said. “The kids go to school around here, and they walk, so I would think that they would be around when this happened.”