LAPD Investigates 3 Officer-Involved Shootings During Weekend
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The LAPD is investigating three separate officer-involved shootings after a violence-filled weekend in the Southland.
The first happened Saturday evening in Cypress Park after a suspect who had an outstanding arrest warrant led police on a 15-minute chase in and around Cypress Park.
That suspect taunted police, threw objects at news photographers and, according to the police, shot at them at least four times. At another point, the suspect was shown pumping a shotgun.
Police shot and killed the suspect when the chase came to an end.
KCAL9's Brittney Hopper said early Sunday, South L.A. police were involved in another officer-involved shooting where the suspect took his own life.
Officers responded to the 6600 block of Denver Avenue around 6:15 a.m. and were confronted by the suspect, who fired at them, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Norma Eisenman said.
Around 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, officers in Van Nuys responded to a call about a man with a knife cutting himself on a bus near Victory Boulevard and Haskell Avenue.
Police said when officers tried to approach him, the suspect took off running and then became aggressive with officers.
The suspect was shot and killed.
"It's unusual to have three [OIS] in one day especially spread out across the city the way it is," said Alan Hamilton with the LAPD.
"The thing about the incidents within the last 24 hours, our officers were clearly threatened," Hamilton added.
LAPD says although it's rare to have three officer involved shootings in one day the number of OIS incidents is down compared to last year at this same time.
In 2013 there was a total of 47 officer involved shootings -- 36 people were struck.
In 2014 there have been a total of 28 officer involved shootings -- 22 people were struck.
"We will always take action as a department to safeguard the public and our officers," Hamilton said.
In this weekend's OIS incidents, no officers were injured.