Officer-Involved Shooting in Rampart Division NRF046-22bb

September 19, 2022

***UPDATE***

The officers involved in the below incident have been identified as Rampart Patrol Division Police Officer III Daniel Cardenas, Serial No. 40516 and Police Officer I Kevin Martinez, Serial No. 44840.

**The following information is based on a preliminary and 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 facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed**

 Los Angeles:  Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Force Investigation Division is investigating an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) in Rampart Division.

On September 11, 2022, around 3:20 a.m., Rampart Division patrol officers were stopped at a red light on Rampart Boulevard, just north of 6^th Street.  As the officers were waiting for the light to turn green, they heard gunfire just south of 6^th Street.  The officers realized they witnessed a shooting in process.  One of the officers broadcast a back-up request, as they observed the suspect running northbound toward their location in the crosswalk.

While the suspect was in the crosswalk, one of the offices observed the suspect in possession of a handgun.  The officers immediately exited their vehicle, un-holstered their firearms and gave the suspect orders.  When the suspect ignored the officers’ directions, an officer involved shooting occurred.  The suspect continued running  northbound, then crossed over to the east side of the street. The officers chased the suspect on foot. At different times both officers’ broadcast a Help Call request.

As the suspect approached the east sidewalk, he dropped his firearm in street. The suspect stopped running, turned around, ran back to his firearm and picked it up. After picking up the firearm, the suspect was facing the officers with the firearm in his hand and an officer-involved shooting occurred. This resulted in the suspect being struck by the officers’ gunfire.

The suspect continued running from the officers in a northeast direction for a short distance before falling onto the sidewalk. The suspect was taken into custody. Immediately thereafter, an officer performed medical treatment on the suspect until the paramedics’ arrival. The Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics arrived and pronounced the suspect deceased at scene.

The suspect was later identified as 35-year-old Liovahnii Luna, a resident of Los Angeles.

No officers or bystanders were injured during this incident.

Luna’s loaded 9mm semi-automatic ghost gun was recovered at scene and booked as evidence.

LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and interviewed witnesses and supervised the collection of evidence by the Forensic Science Division.

The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with LAPD’s policies and procedures. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office who responded to the scene will review the subsequent FID investigation, evidence collected, and witness statements to determine if the force used by the officer was reasonable.