Azusa Officer Recuperating After Fatal Police Shooting; Suspect IDed
AZUSA (CBSLA) - An Azusa police officer wounded in a shootout that left a suspect dead was recuperating Thursday while an investigation continued into the deadly confrontation.
The shooting occurred about 4 p.m. Wednesday in the 1000 block of West Gladstone Street, where officers responded to a call regarding a stolen vehicle.
The wounded officer was struck in the lower body and was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound, according to Deputy Miguel Meza of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The officer, whose name was not released, was expected to recover, according to reports from the scene.
Authorities said officers who went to the Gladstone Street address saw a man and a woman near the allegedly stolen vehicle. The man fled on foot and the officers chased him.
Mathew Cook, 32, died at the scene, the Los Angeles County coroner's office reported. His city of residence was not known.
The wounded officer was struck in the lower body and was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to Deputy Miguel Meza of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Authorities said officers who went to the Gladstone Street address saw a man and a woman near the allegedly stolen vehicle. The man fled on foot and the officers chased him.
As the officers attempted to detain the man, a struggle ensued and at some point, the suspect produced a handgun and fired at the officers, at which time one officer returned gunfire, Meza said.
It was unclear what charges if any, the woman, who was detained, would face. The sheriff's department was assisting Azusa police with the investigation.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online.
