Off-Duty Officer-Involved Shooting in South Los Angeles NR13027cj

***Updated:***The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Police Officer II Julius Wells.

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Force Investigation Division is investigation an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) that occurred in the 3900 block of Westside Avenue.

On January 25, 2013, around 6:17 p.m., an off-duty LAPD police officer had just finished his shift.  As the officer was driving home, he came in contact with another driver.  The driver appeared to be upset.  The driver followed the off-duty officer and a verbal dispute ensued.  Eventually the suspect drove away from the officer and it appeared the dispute was over.

As the officer pulled into a driveway, the suspect slammed on his brakes nearly rear ending the officer’s car.  The officer got out of his car and walked onto the roadway.  The suspect drove around the officer’s car, accelerated towards him and struck the officer in the lower extremities with the front bumper of his car.  The officer, in fear for his life, pulled out a firearm and an officer involved shooting ensued.  The suspect was struck in the upper torso.  He drove himself to the 4200 block of Creed Avenue where he called for medical assistance for himself.  The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene of the shooting and transported the officer to a local hospital where he was treated and released.

The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Richard Culpepper, was also treated at a local hospital and was arrested and booked at LAPD Metropolitan Jail Section for Assault with a Deadly Weapon.  Force Investigation Division detectives responded and are investigating the OIS.

Los Angeles Police Department Force Investigation Division (FID) responded to the incident and will be handling the investigation of the officer-involved shooting.

The investigation will ultimately be reviewed by the Chief of Police, Office of the Inspector General and The Board of Police Commissioners for compliance with the Department’s 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.