Sword-Wielding Man Shot Dead by Police Inside the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles
Two police officers are injured and a man is dead after he walked into the Church of Scientology in the Los Angeles armed with a sword late Wednesday.
Around 3:30 p.m., officers responded to a Scientology church in Inglewood, where a “suspicious” man wearing a hoodie walked into the church with a sword, Inglewood Police Department tells PEOPLE.
Shortly after, the man was shot as were two police officers, according to the Inglewood Police Department.
One officer was shot in the hand and the other was struck in the forearm, the Los Angeles Times reports. The officers’ injuries are not believed to be life-threatening and they are stable.
The suspect, who has not been identified at this time, and the officers were taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical center, where the suspect later died.
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It is not clear as to whether the man had a gun in addition to the sword and shot the two police officers or if they were injured by friendly fire.
One of the officers has been with the police force for 10 years and the other for four years, NBC Los Angeles reports.
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At this time, the incident remains under investigation and police are hoping to get a better understanding of what transpired after viewing surveillance footage from the area, police said in a press conference Wednesday.
A white Bentley driven by the suspect to the scene is also being searched for evidence.
According to KTLA, a woman, whose friend was inside the church at the time of the incident sent her alarming text messages. The woman said her friend called the suspect a “weird guy” that was “acting crazy.”
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The Church of Scientology praised the heroic actions of the police officers in defending “houses of worship against hate crimes.”
“We thank the Inglewood Police Department for their rapid response in protecting our prisoners and staff members,” the statement, obtained by Fox 11, read. “These officers are doing a heroic job protecting the community and keeping houses of worship safe against hate crimes.
“We have offered our full support to authorities who are investigating this incident.”