Man shot dead by California police during surfing contest, probe underway

Police shot and killed a man in Huntington Beach, California, near the US Open of Surfing contest, authorities confirmed. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has been asked to investigate the incident. 

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The man has not been identified. He had a gun and “was non-compliant” as officers tried to get him to surrender, the Huntington Beach Police Department said in a statement.

As per the police statement, it received reports around 3:15 PM, Saturday of a suspicious man with a gun at Huntington City Beach. They approached him on the sand, where the subject, as per the social media post, was noncompliant with officers’ orders, leading to cops opening fire.

“Various lifesaving measures were provided, and the subject was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased,” police said.

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A gun was recovered at the scene, the police confirmed. Photos and videos of the incident are being circulated on social media. Pictures show the wounded man lying on his back in the sand, not moving.

“We started hearing pop, pop, pop,” a Hector Tovar, who lives nearby, told the OC Register.

“I thought it was fireworks, that’s how many rounds there were.”

The incident took place in the south of the Huntington Beach Pier, where surfers were competing nearby in the US Open of Surfing. It is a qualifying event connected to the professional surfing tour. 

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The annual surfing contest has sometimes drawn large, boisterous crowds. In 1986, under the name O.P. Pro, it was the site of rioting and looting.

A large section of the beach was cordoned off while law enforcement investigated.

The surf tournament is expected to go on as planned on Sunday, as it wraps up.