Officer Involved Shooting in the Hollywood Hills

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, April 27, 1999

On Monday, April 26, 1999, at approximately 2:10 a.m., Hollywood Area uniformed patrol officers responded to a radio call of a Domestic Violence-Battery, with the suspect possibly under the influence, at the 2200 block of Ridgemont Drive in the Hollywood Hills.

Thee officers approached the residence on foot and observed a male inside a late model, green Ford Explorer Sport Utility Vehicle parked on the south side of the street. The suspect was holding a gun to his head and had a small dog on his lap.

The officers ordered the suspect to drop his weapon as they requested additional units. The officers deployed on both sides of the vehicle as a secondary unit arrived at the location. Other Hollywood officers deployed north of the suspect’s location. The suspect got out of the vehicle holding the weapon to his head with one hand and the small dog in the other. The suspect threw the dog on the ground, pointed the weapon at an officer and then quickly placed his weapon back to his head. The officers continued to verbalize with the suspect, ordering him to drop the weapon. The suspect ignored the officers repeated commands, and in an effort to subdue him, an officer, armed with a less than lethal shotgun, fired four beanbag rounds. The impact of the beanbag round started the suspect who then pointed his weapon in the direction of the officer holding the less than lethal shotgun and began firing. In defense of the officer’s life, other officers present fired four rounds from their service pistols. The suspect fell to the ground and was placed in custody without further incident.

The Los Angeles City Fire Department Paramedics responded and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.

The suspect’s Yorkshire Terrier was also dead at the scene.

There were no other injuries as a result of this incident. The suspect’s weapon was recovered at the scene.

The deceased has been identified as Bret Hughes, a 47 year old resident of Hollywood.

Robbery-Homicide Division in conjunction with Hollywood Detectives is conducting this investigation.

For Release 11:00 am PDT
April 27, 1999