A man was held hostage by an armed suspect during an hourslong standoff with police in Long Beach overnight.
The incident began just before 10 p.m. Wednesday when police responded to the 2000 block of East Ocean Boulevard regarding a man with a gun who fired shots into the air, a spokesperson for the Long Beach Police Department confirmed to KTLA.
Arriving officers saw the suspect fleeing and then running into a residence in the area of Gaviota Avenue and 1st Street.
The spokesperson also confirmed that a hostage was inside the residence with the suspect.
Around 2 a.m., video showed the male hostage briefly standing in the doorway apparently to show police that he was OK before going back into the home.
The suspect could also be seen in the video standing near the hostage and then guiding him back into the residence.
A SWAT team was sent to the scene to negotiate with the suspect.
Around 4 a.m. a SWAT officer confirmed that the hostage had been released and that the suspect was taken into custody.
No information regarding the identity of the suspect has been released.
Police asked the public to avoid the area of Gaviota Avenue and 1st Street.