Long Beach
Police Department

Update 6/29/23 2:00 p.m.:

In accordance with current legislation, including Senate Bill 1421 and Assembly Bill 748, the Long Beach Police Department discloses certain records and video evidence related to critical incidents, such as officer involved shootings.

Today, the Department is releasing a Critical Incident Video regarding an officer involved shooting that occurred on May 30, 2023, in the 4700 block of Livingston Drive. Critical Incident Videos support the disclosure of certain documents and evidence by providing the public with an additional preliminary review of a critical incident.

As with all officer involved shootings, this incident is currently undergoing a thorough multi-level review process by the Police Department, as well as a separate independent investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The following Critical Incident Video may contain graphic footage and can be difficult to watch; viewer discretion is advised.

Update Published on 5/31/23: 
The suspect has been identified as Mario Najara, a 31-year-old experiencing homelessness. He has been booked on attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery. Bail has been set at $1,000,000.

The investigation is ongoing.


Originally Published on 5/30/2023:

Weapon recovered at the scene
Click on photo to enlarge

On May 30, 2023, at approximately 11:56 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Livingston Drive and Park Avenue regarding a report of a stabbing.

Police Dispatch received numerous calls for service, with calling parties describing a male adult suspect, armed with a knife, actively assaulting and stabbing people.

Officers arrived within five minutes of the initial call for service. Upon arrival, they located the suspect described by the calling parties. Officers observed the suspect was armed with an unknown weapon. They attempted to de-escalate the situation; however, the suspect began walking away from them. Officers continued to talk with the suspect in an attempt to get him to drop the weapon, however, he then attempted to enter a residential property, at which point the officer-involved shooting occurred.

The suspect sustained a gunshot wound to the upper body. Officers rendered medical aid until the arrival of the Long Beach Fire Department, who transported the suspect to a local hospital.

At this time, the suspect is being identified as a 31-year-old man experiencing homelessness.

The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect was involved in three separate incidents prior to officers’ arrival.

• The suspect physically assaulted a female adult and a male adult victim in the area of Park Avenue and Livingston Drive. Both victims were treated at the scene by Long Beach Fire for lacerations.
• The suspect continued walking into Livingston Park and approached a male adult victim holding a child. The suspect assaulted the adult causing the adult and child to both fall to the ground. While the adult victim was on the ground, the suspect stabbed him multiple times in the lower body. Both the adult and child were treated at the scene by Long Beach Fire.
• The suspect continued walking towards 2^nd Street where he encountered an additional male adult victim. He stabbed the victim in the upper body. This victim was transported to a local hospital by Long Beach Fire for a non-life-threatening injury.

Officers later learned the suspect was armed with a screwdriver; it was recovered at the scene of the officer-involved shooting.

No officers were injured. 

All officers were equipped with body-worn cameras, which were activated at the time of the incident. LBPD is in the process of reviewing the footage and will make that available to the public as soon as possible.

As with all officer-involved shooting incidents, the Department will be conducting a full and thorough multi-level review of the incident. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will conduct an independent investigation of the incident, as they do with all officer-involved shootings that result in injury or death.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Homicide Detectives Oscar Valenzuela or Leticia Gamboa at (562) 570-7244. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or text TIPLA plus your tip to 274637 (CRIMES) or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org.