A man wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and a police dog were both killed during a police shooting in the Zaferia neighborhood on Tuesday, Long Beach police officials said.

The shooting happened around 11:15 a.m., in an alley off Orizaba Avenue north of 15th Street after the suspect allegedly charged at officers while holding a knife, police said. The police dog, named Credo, was also struck by gunfire from an officer’s weapon.

The shooting

Police say the suspect, who has not yet been named by authorities, was wanted in connection with a December 2014 shooting in Long Beach with multiple victims.

Around 9 a.m. Tuesday, members of a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force — that Long Beach police participate in — spotted him near 16th Street and Temple Avenue, police said. When task force members tried to contact the suspect, he fled to an acquaintance’s apartment in the 2800 block of East 15th Street, leading authorities on a foot pursuit.

Long Beach police set up a containment perimeter in the area bounded by Temple and Orizaba avenues, and 14th and 16th streets.

Police activated their SWAT team because the suspect was considered armed and dangerous, and nearby residences were evacuated as a precaution, police said.

SWAT team members ordered the suspect to exit the residence, police said. He came outside but did not comply with officers’ commands.

The suspect charged “aggressively” toward officers who used a 40mm rubber baton round and police dog Credo to try and subdue him, police said.

“The suspect continued his aggressive charge toward officers while canine Credo continued to try and stop the suspect from advancing towards officers,” police said. “As Credo fought with the suspect, the suspect produced a knife while continuing to advance towards officers. One of the officers discharged his weapon to protect himself and the other officers from the suspect. Both the suspect and Credo were struck by gunfire.”

Long Beach Fire Department personnel transported the suspect to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. Credo was transported by his handler, Officer Mike Parcells, to Signal Hill Pet Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

No human officers were injured during the shooting, police said.

The suspect

Neighbors described the man killed in Tuesday’s police shooting as mellow and a father who seemed to lead a normal life.

The suspect lived with his longtime partner and their two young daughters, said neighbor Bobby Delouth, 52, who described the suspect as “a mild-mannered dude.”

“Every day he took his kids to school,” Delouth said. “I didn’t think he was into nothing.”

Delouth said he heard police pleading with the suspect to surrender to which the suspect responded, “I’m not turning myself in today.”

Credo

For Long Beach police, the loss of K9 “Credo” was devastating.

Parcells paused outside Signal Hill Pet Hospital Tuesday afternoon, one hand resting on his hip, his head bent downward and his face locked in a grimace.

Credo was the second K9 Parcells has lost in the line of duty.

In 2005, video footage broadcast across the country in news reports showed Parcells carrying his wounded dog Ranger who had just been shot by a paroled gang member during a shootout with police that began as a SWAT search that Oct. 2.

About 750 people attended the funeral for Ranger and Drago, another Long Beach police K9 who died when the air conditioning inside his patrol car failed.

“These service dogs are not just dogs,” said Richard Conant, Deputy Chief of Investigations at the Long Beach Police Department, Tuesday afternoon.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will conduct independent investigations into Tuesday’s shooting. The Coroner’s Office will release the suspect’s identity once his next of kin have been notified.

Long Beach police ask anyone with any information, photos or video of Tuesday’s shooting to contact Homicide Detail at 562-570-7244.