Officer Involved Shooting

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, December 8, 1999

On Tuesday, December 7, 1999, at approximately 3:30 AM, Southeast Area patrol Officers Victoria Lim, Serial #30780, 28 years of age, five years eight months with the Department, and Jaroen Hitanukulkit, Serial #33852, 30 years of age, two years eight months with the Department, were in the Nickerson Gardens Housing Project when they were flagged down by a local citizen. The citizen advised them that an unidentified male was breaking into a white van parked on Parmalee Avenue between 112th and 114th Streets.

The officers approached the van in the police vehicle and observed the suspect inside. They ordered him to exit the van. He eventually complied, but immediately tried to flee on foot. The officers chased the suspect and overtook him after he stumbled and fell to the ground. As Officers Hitanukulkit and Lim attempted to take him into custody, the suspect became combative. A violent struggle ensued on the ground, with the suspect repeatedly punching and kicking the officers as he resisted their efforts to subdue him. On several occasions, the suspect attempted to seize the officer’s service pistols. As Officer Hitanukulkit lay supine on the ground, the suspect again attempted to remove his weapon from its holster. Officer Lim, fearing for her and her partner’s lives, drew her weapon and fired two shots at the suspect, wounding him. Other patrol officers responding to the location then took him into custody.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics provided emergency treatment to the suspect, but he failed to respond and was pronounced dead at the scene. Officer Hitanukulkit, who had apparently lost consciousness near the end of the struggle, was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released. Officer Lim received minor injuries to her hands and legs for which she was also treated and released.

A follow up investigation revealed that the suspect had committed a burglary from motor vehicle from the involved van.

Robbery Homicide Division is conducting the investigation.

For further information call Media Relations Section at 213-485-3586.

For Release 1:45 pm PST
December 8, 1999