Officer Involved Shooting in Hollywood NRF043-15

June 3, 2015 NRF043-15ne

UPDATE

Updated: The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Police Officer II Ricardo Cardona, Serial No. 40712.

Hollywood: On May 24, 2015, around 2:10 a.m., Hollywood Area officers were in the area of Cherokee Street, north of Hollywood Boulevard.

The officers were on foot in the area when they saw the suspect, Tegan James Stephens, and three males in the parking lot across from where the officers were standing. The interaction between Stephens and the group appeared to be strained and the officers continued to watch the group. As they watched, the officers saw Stephens walk to the rear of a white sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was parked in the parking lot. Stephens removed a handgun from the rear of the SUV and the officers saw Stephens begin to follow the three males as they were walking away, at which point an officer-involved-shooting occurred.

Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics responded to the scene and transported Stephens to a local hospital where he is in stable condition. No officers were injured during this incident and a handgun was recovered at scene.

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

Stephens, who is 33 years old, last resided in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stephens has been booked for 417c Penal Code, Exhibiting a Firearm in the Presence of a Police Officer.

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.