Off Duty Los Angeles Police Department Officer Involved in Shooting

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, March 3, 2000

Los Angeles – On Friday, March 3, 2000, at approximately 10:50 a.m., an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer, assigned to Metropolitan Division, entered an open business located at 7851-3 Crenshaw Boulevard. When the officer entered the business he observed that no one was inside. Shortly after entering the business, the off-duty officer was confronted by a suspect who placed a pistol to the back of his head, demanded money and patted the officer down.

The suspect ordered the officer to walk into a rear storage area and then get down on his knees to which the officer complied. The suspect, along with an additional suspect, began to gather store merchandise from the shelves in an attempt to remove them from the store. The first suspect then walked to the storage room pointing his semiautomatic pistol at the off-duty officer. The officer, in fear for his life, armed himself with his service pistol and fired several shots at the suspect wounding him. While the second suspect was leaving the location he turned and pointed a pistol at the officer. The officer, in fear for his life, fired two rounds at the suspect but apparently did not strike him. The second suspect joined a third suspect, who was waiting in a parked vehicle, and fled the location. The second and third suspects have not been apprehended.

The first suspect was treated at the scene by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics and transported to a local hospital. He remains in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. The officer was not injured during this incident.

After the shooting, the officer returned inside the business and discovered two store employees who had been tied up with duct tape and placed in an additional storage room. The two store employees were not injured during the robbery.

The suspect’s .9MM pistol, along with some of the property taken in the robbery, were recovered at the scene.

Robbery Homicide Division is conducting the investigation.

This media advisory was prepared by Sergeant Pasquariello of Media Relations Section. For further information contact Media Relations at 213-485-3586.

For Release 5:00 pm PST
March 3, 2000