Officer-Involved Shooting Occurs at the End of a Pursuit NR124334ne

September 20, 2012

UPDATED RELEASE

Updated:  The officers involved in the officer-involved-shooting have been identified as:
Police Officer II Ryan Nguyen, Rampart Area
Police Officer III Clinton Perez, Rampart Area
Police Officer II Joseph Arevalo, Rampart Area
Police Officer II Mark Austin, Rampart Area
Police Officer II Brad Gorby, Rampart Area
Police Officer II Juan Garcia, Rampart Area
Police Officer II David Blake, Rampart Area
Police Officer III Joseph Broussard, Olympic Area
Police Officer III Hans Almaraz, Metropolitan Area

Los Angeles:  On September 11, 2012, at around 6:30 p.m., Rampart Patrol Division officers were in pursuit of a stolen white two door 2003 Honda Civic.  The Honda had been taken in a carjacking earlier in the afternoon from the North Hollywood area, at around 5:30 p.m.

Patrol officers remained in pursuit of the Honda in the Rampart Area.  Communications Division updated the involved units with the suspect’s description and that he was armed.  As the suspect was driving west on 7th Street crossing Bixel Street, he drove through a mid-phase red signal and collided with a white four door Nissan Altima being driven north on Bixel Street, disabling the Honda.  The suspect (later identified) Ian Schlesinger exited the Honda with a rifle and concealed himself behind the Honda and Nissan, as responding patrol units and K-9 units stopped their police vehicles east and south of the Honda and Nissan.  As the officers exited their vehicles, the suspect began shooting at the officers at which time an officer-involved shooting (OIS) occurred.  The suspect Schlesinger was wounded and subsequently taken into custody by officers.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived and transported the suspect to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and listed in stable condition.  The suspects’ rifle and a pistol were recovered at the scene.

LAPD’s Force Investigation Division (FID) responded and will be handling the investigation of the officer-involved shooting.

The investigation will ultimately be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Office of the Inspector General and The Board of Police Commissioners for compliance with the Department’s 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.