The department is examining the reported robbery and the officer’s gunfire as detectives search for two unidentified men.
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach police are conducting a multi-level review after an off-duty officer fired toward two men during a reported armed robbery Sunday afternoon, the department said.
The review is proceeding alongside a criminal investigation into the robbery near Bixby Road and Orange Avenue. Police said the confrontation began at about 1:30 p.m. when one man pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the officer while another man robbed him.
The officer fired toward the suspects, who fled the area, according to the department’s preliminary account. The officer was not injured, and authorities said they did not know whether either man was hit.
Police did not release the officer’s name, assignment or length of service. The department also did not say how many shots were fired or whether investigators recovered a weapon believed to have been carried by a suspect.
The shooting was classified as an officer-involved incident despite occurring while the officer was off duty. The department said all officer-involved shootings receive a full review, but it did not provide a timeline for completing that process.
Such a review is separate from the effort to identify and locate the two men. Detectives are examining the circumstances of the reported robbery, the apparent firearm and the officer’s response, police said.
Investigators had not disclosed what was taken from the officer. No suspect descriptions beyond their gender were immediately available, and police did not announce any arrests.
The department cautioned that its first account was intended to provide early information and was not a formal investigative report. Details could change as detectives interview people, examine physical evidence and gather other records connected to the encounter.
Both investigations remained active Monday. Police had not announced whether either suspect sought treatment for a gunshot wound or whether investigators had identified a possible escape route.
Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.