Nine people have been shot by Long Beach (Calif.) PD police officers this year, a trend officials attribute to a poor economy and work furloughs by the police department, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In each case, violent suspects failed to comply with commands or brandished weapons.
The department has recorded as many officer-involved shootings as the Los Angeles Police Department and one fewer than the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Both of those agencies employ 10 times as many officers.
The issue spiked this week, as the department saw three shootings. Five people were injured during a seven-hour period, including one officer in a friendly fire incident at the tail end of a pursuit.
