Armed Pedestrian Arrested after Foot Pursuit

Los Angeles: On May 9, 2008, at about 11 p.m., a man crossing a street pulled a gun on LAPD officers who had attempted to cite him for jaywalking.

LAPD Hollenbeck Division Patrol Officers Gabriel Gaxiola, nine years, seven months with the Department, and Carlos De La Cruz, 10 years, six months with the Department, attempted to cite a jaywalking suspect on Huntington Drive. However, as soon as the officers stopped their car to approach the suspect, he began running down the street.

Officer Gaxiola exited the patrol car and pursued the suspect, Rudy Doria, on foot while Officer De La Cruz followed them in the car. During the pursuit, Doria removed a semiautomatic pistol from his waistband, but lost control of the pistol when he tripped and fell to the pavement. His weapon landed nearby on the roadway. As Officer Gaxiola approached he used a kicking technique to prevent Doria from rearming himself. Doria was promptly taken into custody without further incident. Officers also recovered the suspect’s pistol, which was fully loaded.

No officers were injured during the incident and the suspect was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Force Investigation Personnel have responded to this incident and are investigating it as a Categorical Use of Force involving a head strike.