Two Suspects Arrested After Shooting into Apartment NR11095kr

Los Angeles:  Wilshire Area, Narcotics Enforcement Detail (NED), officers, became involved in an officer involved shooting Wednesday afternoon after witnessing a suspect fire a handgun into an apartment.

On March 2, 2011, at around 1:45 p.m., Wilshire Area NED Officer Donald Peko, 5 years with the Department, and his two partners, were working in plainclothes, in an undercover vehicle, investigating narcotics activity in the 5100 block of West 21st Street.  As the officers were monitoring the activity in the north-south alley, behind the 2100 block of Alsace Avenue, they saw two suspects later identified as Rennard Blanche, a male Black, 28-years-old and Nicholas Robins, a male Black, 24-years of age, walking near the end of the alley.

Blanche was armed with a revolver and began firing the revolver at a second story apartment on the eastside of the alley.  Blanche and Robins then ran southbound in the alley and got into a waiting car and drove southbound in the alley.

Office Peko and his partners began following the suspects car, but within a short distance the suspect’s car stopped abruptly and Blanche and Robins jumped out. Blanche was still armed with the handgun and turned towards the officers.  Officer Peko then became involved in an officer involved shooting.  Blanche and Robins ran from the scene, leaving behind the car.  They were found a short time later by other units who had responded to help the NED officers.

Neither suspect, none of the officers, nor any of the residents in the apartment were injured by gunfire.

Blanche and Robins were arrested for parole violations.  Additional charges of Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Police Officer and Shooting into an Inhabited Dwelling, are pending. A revolver was recovered at the scene.

Force Investigation Division personnel responded to the scene and are investigating the officer-involved shooting.