Man Shot by Police

Los Angeles: Yesterday afternoon, February 4, 2005, a man was shot by police after he pointed a gun at witnesses and two officers.
At about 1:35 p.m., a person reported to a 9-1-1 operator that a Hispanic man, 25 to 30 years old, was pointing a gun at a passerby in the 1700 block of South Westmoreland Avenue in Los Angeles.
Two officers from Rampart police station, Cecil Mangrum and Ramon Romero, both 28 years old with 5 years of service, answered the call. They saw the man fitting the description, standing in front of apartments. Witnesses reported hearing the officer’s command the man to drop the gun several times. When the man pointed the gun at the officers, an officer-involved shooting occurred.
The man with the gun was wounded and taken to a local hospital. Due to his serious medical condition, he was not booked, and his name is being withheld, pending charges. None of the witnesses or the officers were injured. The man’s gun was recovered at the scene. It turned out to be a realistic-looking pellet pistol.
The man will potentially face charges of Criminal Threats (422 PC) for his actions toward the witnesses and felony obstructing (69 PC) for pointing the pellet gun at the officers.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Force Investigation Division Detectives are conducting an investigation of the incident.
This news release was prepared by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section. For questions please call 213-485-3586.