Without warning, an assailant pulled out a weapon and began shooting at two officers during a Los Angeles Police Department traffic stop Wednesday night, nearly injuring two, police said.
The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries. One of them had a scratch on his head; police said the other was injured by broken glass.
Photos of the damaged cruiser released by the Los Angeles Police Department showed multiple bullet holes in the windshield, with both the passenger and driver positions struck.
According to police, Southeast Police Department officers were patrolling the area of Broadway and Rosecrans Avenue on Wednesday around 9 p.m. when they initiated a traffic stop for the driver of a white Chevrolet sedan at South Broadway and Rosecrans Avenue. Park near the intersection.
When the vehicle came to a stop, someone inside the vehicle “immediately opened fire on the officers,” who fired back, police said. “It is unclear whether the suspect was struck,” the department reported on social media.
The police account did not clarify whether it was the driver or someone else in the car who fired at the officers. A media official said Thursday, without providing further details.
After the exchange of gunfire, the car drove away. Police pursued the vehicle to the area of Broadway and 135th Street, where they lost sight of the vehicle traveling north on Broadway.
Fire department paramedics transported these individuals to nearby hospitals for examination and treatment. The Los Angeles Police Department reported late Wednesday that both men were in stable condition.
“We are still in the early stages of our investigation,” the department said. “Investigators still have body-worn video to review, as well as other video and physical evidence to examine.”
“An active search for the suspect and vehicle is ongoing,” the department wrote. “Investigators urge anyone who may have been in the area and witnessed the assault by our officers to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.”
