Officer-Involved Shooting in Olympic Division NRF037-23ne

August 21, 2023 NRF037-23rc

UPDATE

The officers involved in the below incident have been identified as Rampart Area Police Officer II Herman Lucas, Serial No. 42899, Police Officer III Daniel Cardenas, Serial No. 40516, Police Officer III Giovanny Barona, Serial No. 42485 and Wilshire Area Police Officer II Jonathan Azucena, Serial No. 44524.

**The following information is based on a preliminary and 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 facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed**

Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Force Investigation Division is investigating an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) that occurred in Olympic Division.

On August 12, 2023, at around 8:17 p.m., Olympic Area uniformed patrol officers responded to a radio call of a “Man with a Gun” inside the convenience store, located at the 3400 block of West 6th Street.

Upon arrival the suspect, later identified as 35-year-old, Taylor Dean Sanders, had left the location. At around 9:19 p.m., officers who were canvassing the area, observed Sanders on the south sidewalk of Wilshire Boulevard west of Kenmore Avenue, carrying what appeared to be a black assault rifle.

As officers issued verbal commands to Sanders, he raised the rifle in the direction of the officers resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS). Officers broadcast a “Help Call,” as Sanders fled the location on foot. Responding uniform officers from Rampart and Olympic Division observed Sanders walking south on Vermont Avenue from Wilshire Boulevard. Officers began to follow Sanders on foot from behind the cover of their trailing police vehicles. As Sanders reached mid-block between Vermont Avenue and 7th Street, officers deployed both Bean Bag Shotguns and 40mm Less-Lethal Launchers (LLL) towards Sanders. Sanders again raised his rifle in the direction of the officers, which resulted in a second OIS. Sanders continued to flee south on Vermont Avenue to a multi-unit shopping center and parking lot located at the northeast corner of 7th Street and Vermont Avenue.

Officers again deployed 40mm LLL towards Sanders and as Sanders again pointed his rifle in the direction of officers resulting in a third OIS. Sanders barricaded himself in an open-air stairwell of the parking lot and refused to submit to commands. Metropolitan Division Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) personnel responded to the location and after a lengthy standoff, Sanders surrendered without incident. Sanders was transported to California Hospital Medical Center for treatment of gunshot wounds. Sanders was admitted and listed in stable condition.

Sanders was booked for Brandishing an Imitation Firearm at officers. Two replica firearms were located, a black air soft gun in the appearance of a rifle and a black and orange butane lighter in the appearance of a small pistol were recovered from the scene and booked as evidence.

No officers or other citizens were injured during this incident. Force Investigation Division (FID) investigators responded to the scene and are investigating this incident.

LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and interviewed witnesses and supervised the collection of evidence by the Forensic Science Division. The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with LAPD’s policies and procedures.