LAPD Shooting Appears Unrelated To Earlier Ambush

Separate LAPD shooting incidents yesterday wounded three officers across two incidents, including an ambush involving two detectives and another in which an officer was shot in the face during a parole check and left in critical condition but is expected to survive.

The first LAPD shooting incident involved two LAPD Wilshire detectives fired upon inside their vehicle as they attempted to clear an entry with a key card. The officers were able to return fire at the shooter.

A black male suspect described as being between 30 and 35 years old fled the scene, and a subsequent perimeter set up in a radius around the scene netted 11 detentions but no arrests. The detectives suffered minor injuries but were treated and released.

Addressing the attack, Chief Charlie Beck said of the LAPD ambush:

This was a blatant attempt to assassinate two of the people that try to protect this community… We certainly must pursue all avenues to bring this individual into custody.

Later that same day, a gunman fired upon an LAPD officer and a county probation officer at around 7:30 pm local time. The officer was shot in the face and had reportedly undergone surgery overnight in Los Angeles.

Southern California Public Radio reports that the suspected gunman in that LAPD shooting is still believed to be at the scene of the incident, and that the officer is stable but not out of the woods yet:

“Los Angeles police say an officer who was shot in the face is out of surgery and the gunman is believed holed up in a Willowbrook home, 12 hours after the confrontation… Sgt. Albert Gonzalez tells KABC-TV that the officer is in stable condition in intensive care.”

Chief Beck later tweeted:

Prayers to the LAPD officers injured in today’s attacks-senseless violence against those who protect and serve others. Cb

— Chief Charlie Beck (@LAPDChiefBeck) June 26, 2013

LAPD spokesperson Cmdr. Andrew Smith addressed speculation that LAPD shooting incidents were linked to a report Tuesday stating the department found the firing of former officer Christopher Dorner justified, saying:

“We got speculation from people that there would be reaction to that… We don’t have any information to know whether that’s true.”

In the second LAPD shooting incident, five officers volleyed fire with the suspected gunman.