A man armed with a lighter resembling a firearm near a community pool was arrested in Hollywood earlier this week, police said.
According to a media release from the Los Angeles Police Department, officers first received a call regarding a man with a gun near the L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks Hollywood Pool, located near Cole and Lexington avenues, at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Responding officers located the man, Darrell Morgan, who was walking on the sidewalk adjacent to the pool with “an article in his waistband.”
Morgan ignored the officers’ verbal commands and fled the area on foot, briefly losing the police in the process; however, an assisting air unit tracked him near Vine Street and La Mirada Avenue, LAPD said.
“Officers attempted to make contact with Morgan as he crossed to the east side of Vine Street,” police stated, adding that he was holding “an object resembling a handgun” at the time.
It was at this point that Morgan appeared to point the object at the officers, which resulted in the officers opening fire at him.
He was not struck, LAPD said, and continued to flee on foot before being apprehended a short time later in the 1300 block of North Vine Street.
A small gold and dark metallic-colored lighter in the design of a Luger Pistol was recovered and collected as evidence, authorities confirmed.
No injuries to civilians or officers were reported.