Richard Joseph Barrett, a 62-year-old resident of Long Beach, California, died on November 1, 2014, after being shot by a Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officer. The incident occurred in the 300 block of Cherry Avenue, where police responded to a call regarding a residential robbery. Upon arrival, officers encountered Barrett, who was identified as the suspect.
According to the LBPD, Barrett attacked the officers with a knife and a crowbar, leading to the officer-involved shooting that resulted in his death.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Barrett had been a neighbor of the victims for about a decade. On the day of the incident, Barrett allegedly broke into his neighbors' home, vandalized their property, set a fire, and killed their family dog. The residents had vacated the building while Barrett was inside. The motive behind Barrett's actions remains unclear, as there had been no previous confrontations between him and the neighbors. The officers involved in the shooting were not injured, and a knife was found at the scene.
Following the incident, the coroner's office identified Barrett and noted that an autopsy was pending. The investigation into the shooting was ongoing, with the LBPD conducting a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the event. The case did not result in any arrests or charges against the officers involved, as they were found to have acted in self-defense during the confrontation with Barrett. The incident was classified as an officer-involved shooting rather than a murder, and no further legal actions or litigations were reported in connection with Barrett's death.
