Officer-Involved Shooting in Southeast Division NRF049-22lr

UPDATE

The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Southeast Division Police Officer II Luis Alvarez, Serial No. 42787.

**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 Southeast Division.

On September 22, 2022, at around 10:22 p.m., Southeast Patrol officers were conducting extra patrol in the area of Imperial Highway and Central Avenue, when they observed a male riding a bicycle who they believed matched the description of a suspect wanted for an Assault with a Deadly Weapon. As the officers approached the suspect to conduct an investigative stop, the suspect abruptly abandoned his bicycle and ran from the officers resulting in a foot pursuit. The Officers gave chase while giving the suspect verbal commands to stop running. During the foot pursuit, the suspect produced a handgun and an Officer-Involved Shooting occurred. The suspect was struck by the officer’s gunfire but scaled a fence and continued to run. The officers lost sight of the suspect, established a perimeter, and requested the assistance of Metropolitan K-9 units. During the search, it was discovered the suspect had barricaded himself inside a nearby business. The Special Weapons and Tactics(SWAT) responded to the scene, located the suspect, and took him into custody without further incident. A handgun was recovered at scene and booked as evidence.

Paramedics were at scene and transported the suspect to a local hospital where he was treated for his injury and released for booking. No officers were injured during the incident.

The suspect was identified as Victor Lopez, a Male, Hispanic, 37 years old, a resident of Los Angeles. He is being charged with California Penal Code 187(A) PC – Attempt Murder; his bail is set at $1.2 million dollars, Booking No. 6469642.

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.