Officer Involved Shooting in West Valley NRF090-15ma

November 16, 2015

Update

Updated: The officers involved in the below incident have been identified as Police Officer I Brittney Gutierrez, Serial No. 41928 and Police Officer III Jaime Mejia, Serial No. 33623.

** The following information is based on a preliminary, ongoing investigation which continues to evolve as investigators interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records, and analyze forensic evidence. The Department’s understanding of the incident may change as the investigation continues and additional evidence is collected and analyzed. ** Los Angeles: On Monday, November 9, 2015, at around 1:00 p.m., uniformed police officers assigned to West Valley Patrol Division responded to Stagg Street, west of Louise Avenue for a radio call of a man in the roadway, causing vehicles to swerve around him.

When the officers arrived, they met with a male who directed the officers to the area the suspect was last seen. The officers exited their police vehicle and were attempting to detain the suspect to investigate the radio call when he ran toward the officers. One of the officers utilized a beanbag shotgun which was not effective in stopping the suspect. There was an altercation between the suspect and the officers, one of the officers was knocked to the ground and the suspect gained control of the beanbag shotgun. A partner officer used a TASER which was also ineffective in gaining control of the suspect. At that time, an officer-involved-shooting occurred.

Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the suspect deceased. His name is being withheld pending family notification.

No officers were injured during this incident.

Force Investigation Division responded to the incident and will conduct a thorough investigation of the officer-involved-shooting.

The investigation will ultimately be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Office of the Inspector General and Board of Police Commissioners for compliance with the Departments use-of-force policy which states that an officer’s use-of-force actions must be objectively reasonable. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division will conduct a comprehensive review of the facts of the officer-involved-shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Force Investigation Division at 213-486-5230. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.