Officers Shot at During Investigation, Suspect Shot and Captured

Los Angeles:  Around 2:20 this morning, August 27, 2005, a Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant and senior detective were shot at as they drove south on Denker Street in the Chesterfield Square area of South Los Angeles.
The two officers, driving in an unmarked, silver Chevy Malibu, were searching the area of Slauson Avenue and Denker Street for a vehicle described in an earlier assault.  Both officers were in plain clothes.
A 21-year-old man, standing in front of 5865 South Denker Street, fired into the officers’ Malibu at close range after exchanging words with the officers, who identified themselves to the man.  Both officers returned fire and called for help. 
The man, identified as Lawrence Garcia, was captured quickly.  He was wounded on his right arm and taken to California Hospital.  Neither the lieutenant nor the detective was injured in the shooting.
Officers followed a blood trail, which led behind Garcia’s house, where they found a .38 caliber revolver.  Ballistics tests will determine if the revolver was the weapon used by Garcia.  The officers’ car showed evidence of bullet impacts.
Garcia lives in the house with his mother.  He is originally from Belize.  Garcia is expected to be released from the hospital today, and he will be booked on charges of attempted murder of police officers.
The motive for Garcia’s attack on the officers was not immediately known.  Investigators interviewed several witnesses to the incident.
The Force Investigation Division of the LAPD will investigate the circumstances of the shooting.  Representatives from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Police Commission’s Inspector General were at the scene to monitor the investigation.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).