Off-Duty Officer Involved in a Shooting NRF095-15ma

December 18, 2015

***UPDATE***

Updated: The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Police Officer II Bernard Leon, Serial No. 417392.

** The following information is based on a preliminary, 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 incident may change as the investigation continues and additional evidence is collected and analyzed. **

Los Angeles: On Monday, December 14, 2015, at around 2:40 a.m., an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department police officer was involved in a shooting.

The officer was near his personal vehicle, which was parked legally at the curbside in the 500 block of Wheeling Way. The officer saw the suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Joshua Villavicencio, coming toward him. The suspect demanded the keys to the officer’s vehicle in an attempt to carjack the vehicle. The officer saw that the suspect was armed with a semi-automatic handgun, and an exchange of gunfire occurred.

The suspect was struck by gunfire and was taken into custody by responding LAPD Hollenbeck patrol units. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded and the suspect was taken to a local hospital where he received medical treatment. The handgun the suspect was armed with was recovered at scene by investigators. The suspect was arrested and booked for attempt murder. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for filing consideration.

The officer was not injured during this incident.

Force Investigation Division responded to the incident and will conduct a thorough investigation of the officer-involved-shooting.

The investigation will ultimately be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Office of the Inspector General and Board of Police Commissioners for compliance with the Departments use-of-force policy which states that an officer’s use-of-force actions must be objectively reasonable. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division will conduct a comprehensive review of the facts of the officer-involved-shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Force Investigation Division at 213-486-5230. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.