Coroner IDs Man Police Shot after Breaking into Neighbor's Long Beach Home

The coroner’s office today identified the man Long Beach police shot and killed after he broke into his neighbors’ home and killed their dog.

He was 62-year-old Richard Joseph Barrett, said coroner’s Lt. Larry Dietz. An autopsy is pending.

Officers were sent about 3:55 p.m. Saturday to the 300 block of Cherry Avenue to investigate an armed residential robbery, said Long Beach police Sgt. Bradley Johnson.

“Officers subsequently made contact with the suspect and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Johnson said.

The suspect died at the scene, he said. No officers were injured.

Police subsequently said the suspect identified as Barrett tried to attack them several times with a knife and a crowbar before they they shot him. The knife and crowbar were recovered at the scene, police said.

The preliminary investigation revealed that for about the past 10 years, the suspect has been a next-door neighbor of the victims, Johnson said.

The residents and police did not know why Barrett targeted them. The neighbors had no history of confrontation, Johnson said.

They ran out of the home when he entered and were not injured, the sergeant said.

“While the suspect was inside the residence he killed the family dog,” Johnson said.

He also vandalized their property and lit a fire inside their residence.

--City News Service

PHOTO Image via Shutterstock.

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