Officer Threatened by Gunman

Los Angeles: A suspect pointed a handgun at an officer, resulting in an officer involved shooting.

On March 11, 2009 at about 8:30 p.m., Southwest Area Patrol Officers conducted an investigative stop of possible narcotics suspects in a car in the 1500 block of West Adams Boulevard. They saw a pedestrian standing in the street leaning into the vehicle talking with the four male occupants inside.  Officers directed the pedestrian onto the sidewalk and Officer Ruben DelCastillo approached the vehicle’s driver.  The driver suddenly pointed a handgun at Officer DelCastillo, resulting in DelCastillo shooting at the suspect. The suspect accelerated and drove the vehicle, eastbound on Adams Boulevard.  The involved officers stayed with the pedestrian, requested help from other units and broadcast the direction of travel and vehicle description.  

The suspect vehicle drove eastbound and made a right turn on Menlo Avenue.  At Menlo, the suspect’s vehicle collided with a student shuttle bus.  The bus driver and about ten students were not injured.  

The suspect vehicle continued southbound on Menlo for several hundred feet colliding with several parked cars and a construction trailer before coming to a stop.  The driver remained in the car injured and the three other occupants ran from the car.  

When officers approached the suspect’s disabled vehicle, they discovered that the driver had suffered a gunshot wound.  Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded and treated the suspect, identified as 25 year-old Cesar Osbaldo Ramirez.  Ramirez was transported to a local hospital where he died.  

Two handguns were recovered during the incident, and the three suspects who fled were all subsequently located within the perimeter and arrested.   
 
Force Investigation Division is handling the investigation.