Off-duty LAPD officer shoots and kills man in Ontario
An investigation is underway after an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer shot and killed a man in Ontario Thursday night.
The shooting happened near the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Sixth Street around 8:30 p.m., according to the Ontario Police Department. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators on Friday said that some sort of incident turned physical between the two men, who both got out of their cars before the officer opened fire.
The off-duty officer was taken to the hospital in stable condition, although it's unclear how or what injuries he sustained.
"The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of an officer involved shooting, involving a Los Angeles police officer in the city of Ontario earlier this evening. The Los Angeles Police Department is fully cooperating with the investigation," the LAPD said in a statement.
The intersection was closed for several hours while crews investigated the incident. Both the Ontario Police Department and LAPD's Force Investigation Division responded.
On Friday, family members identified the victim as Hugo Cachua, a father of three who worked as an Amazon driver. They gathered near the spot of the shooting to mourn their lost loved one.
"He was a great man, he was a family man and we loved him dearly and now we will miss him dearly," said Cachua's brother Luis.
They're enraged with the incident, saying that Hugo was not the type to get angry.
"Something so small, from an accident — a vehicle — something that can get repaired, to taking my brother's life. That is not reparable," Cachua said. "He will never come back, we'll never see him again."
While the investigation continues to determine exactly what led up to the fight, they're demanding justice be served.
"It was wrong, he was wrong. He wrongfully took my brother's life early," Cachua said. "This tragedy that happened to him, that should never happen to anyone and that guy needs to be hold responsible."
The incident, which remains under investigation by Ontario police investigators, is now also being picked up by the California Department of Justice. A law that went into effect in 2021 requires all fatal police-involved shootings with an unarmed civilian to undergo investigation.
