Man shot dead by California Highway Patrol officer outside Los Angeles building

A CHP officer shot and killed a man outside the Ronald Reagan state building Wednesday morning, officials said. (Google Maps)

A man was shot and killed by a California Highway Patrol officer Wednesday morning after he was seen following an employee into the Ronald Reagan state building with his hand concealed in a bag, police said.

The man, said to be in his 40s, followed the employee into the downtown Los Angeles building just after 6 a.m., a time when the building wasn’t open to the public, The Los Angeles Times reported. He reached the security checkpoint and allegedly yelled “get down on the floor” to employees.

“He was taking an aggressive shooting stance,” California Highway Patrol Sgt. Saul Gomez told the Los Angeles Times.

The officer fired his gun at the man three times, killing him. The man’s name has not been released.

The man did not work in the building and it’s unclear if he was a former employee, police said.