Boyle Heights Shootout
LAPD Shoots Stolen Car Suspect in Boyle Heights After Pursuit; Officer Wounded
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Key Points
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LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said he “could not confirm where the officer was hit,” but that the officer was expected to be okay.
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The pursuit began in South Los Angeles and ended near Marietta and Garnet streets at about 2:15 p.m., with KTLA helicopter footage showing the suspect lying on the ground and moving before officers with guns drawn moved in and apprehended him.
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Paramedics were seen treating the wounded officer and removing the injured suspect in separate ambulances.
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Investigators marked the recovered weapon as well as a “series of other evidence markers” at the scene—describing the recovered firearm as something that “seemed to be a gun.”
An LAPD officer was shot in the chest during a stolen-vehicle pursuit that ended in a shootout in Boyle Heights on Tuesday afternoon, but a ballistic vest absorbed the bullet and the officer is expected to survive, according to KTLA 5. The suspect was also struck and taken to a hospital, with officials describing his condition as anywhere from unknown to critical.
The confrontation unfolded near Marietta and Garnet streets at about 2:15 p.m., after a pursuit that began in South Los Angeles. Investigators are still working to determine exactly who shot whom during the chaotic exchange of gunfire, CBS News reported.
Pursuit From South LA Ends in Boyle Heights Crash
LAPD Newton Division officers spotted a stolen Toyota pickup in South Los Angeles around 1:45 p.m. and tried to pull it over. The driver refused and led officers on a high-speed chase through surface streets. The pursuit ended roughly 30 minutes later when the vehicle crashed near Marietta and Garnet streets in Boyle Heights, according to KABC-TV.
KTLA 5 helicopter footage showed the suspect lying on the pavement after the crash, moving before officers with guns drawn closed in and took him into custody. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived shortly after and treated both the officer and the suspect. Two separate ambulances took them to local trauma centers.
Officer's Vest Stops Bullet, Suspect Condition Unclear
The officer, whose identity has not been released, was struck in the chest. A department-issued ballistic vest absorbed the round. He was transported in stable condition and is expected to recover, NBC Los Angeles reported. LAPD Capt. Mike Bland told reporters he "could not confirm exactly where the officer was hit" but said the officer was going to be okay.
The suspect's condition has been harder to pin down. Some officials called it "unknown" while others described it as critical, according to Fox LA. He was also hit in the chest. No further details about his injuries were released at the initial press briefing.
Investigators Can't Yet Confirm Who Fired First
One of the central questions now facing the LAPD's Force Investigative Division is the sequence of gunfire. Authorities have not confirmed whether the suspect fired first or whether the officer may have been struck by a shot from another officer during the confusion, Hoodline reported. That distinction matters enormously for legal liability.
Capt. Bland said investigators recovered a weapon at the scene along with "a series of other evidence markers." He described the recovered item as something that "seemed to be a gun." That phrasing quickly drew scrutiny online. Under California law, the LAPD has 45 days to release body-worn camera footage of the incident.
Neighborhood Setting Raises Familiar Community Concerns
The pursuit ended in a dense residential stretch of Boyle Heights, a neighborhood with a long and tense history with the LAPD. The shooting occurred in broad daylight at around 2:15 p.m., when foot traffic and street activity are common. Local community members questioned whether a pursuit for a property crime — auto theft — should have continued into such a populated area, according to CBS News.
Members of the LA City Council's Public Safety Committee issued a brief statement wishing the officer a speedy recovery and said they are awaiting the mandatory critical incident video release. The Newton Division, where the pursuit originated, ranks in the top 20% of LAPD divisions for stolen vehicle recoveries, according to LAPD CompStat data cited by Head Topics.
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