A robbery suspect remains barricaded inside a 7-Eleven in downtown Long Beach Tuesday morning, prompting a large police and SWAT response that has shut down several streets in the area.
The standoff began shortly after 2 a.m. when employees of the convenience store at West Broadway and Pine Avenue managed to escape and flag down officers after a man allegedly entered and robbed the store. Long Beach police confirmed the employees were unharmed and quickly alerted authorities.
By 9 a.m., the suspect was still refusing to surrender despite repeated commands from officers outside the store. SWAT officers, a K-9 unit, and an armored BearCat vehicle were deployed to the scene, with police seen in tactical gear surrounding the business and urging the suspect to come out peacefully.
The Long Beach Police Department has not released details about the suspect’s identity or what led to the confrontation.
As a precaution, authorities have closed several streets, including Broadway from Pacific Avenue to Long Beach Boulevard and Pine Avenue from 1st Street to 3rd Street, as the standoff continues.
Police say the situation remains active and are urging the public to avoid the area until further notice.