Whittier police officer, murder suspect both treated at hospital for gunshot wounds
A police officer in California suffered two non-fatal gunshot wounds while chasing a suspect wanted for murder through a suburb of Los Angeles on Monday, authorities said.
Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop just before 7 p.m. in the alley of the 7300 block of Pickering Avenue in Whittier during surveillance of 25-year-old Edgar Gonzalez, who was identified as the shooter in a murder that occurred in Santa Fe Springs a day earlier, the Whittier Police Department said.
Gonzalez refused the officers’ demands and fled from his vehicle, according to authorities.
Officers chased the suspect between two apartment complexes, where the department says an officer-involved shooting occurred.
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The suspect fled from officers during a high-risk traffic stop on Monday evening in Whittier, a suburb of Los Angeles, authorities said. (FOX11 Los Angeles KTTV)
It was unclear who fired first or how many shots were fired.
One officer suffered two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his lower extremities. The suspect suffered a gunshot wound to a hand.
The suspect was identified as the shooter in a murder that occurred the previous day in Santa Fe Springs, according to officials. (FOX11 Los Angeles KTTV)
After the shooting, police said Gonzalez continued running and ditched a semi-automatic handgun.
Officers used a less lethal 40mm baton round and a K-9 to force the suspect to surrender and took him into custody.
One Whittier police officer suffered two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his lower extremities, police said. (FOX11 Los Angeles KTTV)
Both the officer and the suspect were treated at a local hospital, where they both were in stable condition.
No additional information was immediately available.