Two Baldwin Park Police Department officers responding to a shooting call Saturday evening were injured by gunfire and one of the officers died, authorities said during a news conference early Sunday.
The initial shooting the officers were called to also left a civilian victim dead. He was described only as a man, information on his identity was not immediately released.
The second officer who responded to the call survived his gunshot wounds and was described at a news conference by Baldwin Park Police Chief Robert López as hospitalized in good condition and surrounded by his family.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has taken the lead in the investigation, Sheriff Robert Luna said.
“It sounds like a double murder,” Luna said.
At the news conference at Los Angeles General Medical Center, where the officers were taken, Luna said officers were dispatched at 7:12 p.m. to a report of gunshots and a person down.
“They did not hesitate. When they arrived they were met by gunfire,” said Luna, adding the person who reported the initial shooting indicated someone was shooting rifle rounds.
Luna said the suspect, a man, was shot by responding officers and was transported and hospitalized in custody. He was reported to be stable, Luna said. It wasn’t immediately known if the suspect was shot by the two officers who initially were shot, or by other officers who had responded.
López described the situation as extremely difficult for his police department.
“One of our officers was murdered tonight,” López said.
“Our officer was an amazing man. He was an avid snowboarder, a Dodger fan,” López said. “He would travel and see the Dodgers play at different stadiums across the United States.”
“It’s extremely tragic to have to deal with this. I ask for the community to remember the officers and the deputies who go out there every day … making it safe for all of our families, our residents and the community as well,” López said.
The names of the officer who died, the civilian who was killed in the initial shooting, the second officer who was shot and the suspect were not immediately released.
The shooting happened in the 4200 block of Filhurst Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Sheila Kelliher told City News Service.
One officer was taken to a hospital by air and the other by ground ambulance. It wasn’t immediately known which of those two died and which survived.
News video from the scene on Saturday night showed a large law enforcement presence, including SWAT officers and armored vehicles, in the residential neighborhood in the area of Filhurst, Palm and Harlan avenues. That area is east of the 605 Freeway and north of the 10 Freeway.
The windshield of a resident’s car was shattered by gunfire, leaving the resident shocked when he realized there was a shootout, KTLA reported.
Besides the Baldwin Park Police Department, responding agencies included the Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol and police departments from nearby cities.
City News Service contributed to this story.
