By Howard Blume
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — An LAPD traffic stop Wednesday night nearly became deadly when an assailant pulled out a weapon without warning and began firing at two officers, police said.
The officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries. One had a graze wound in the head; the other was injured by shattered glass, police said.
A photo of the damaged cruiser released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows several bullet holes in the windshield, with both the passenger and driver positions hit.
According to the police account, Southeast Division officers were patrolling in the area of Broadway and Rosecrans Avenue around 9 p.m. Wednesday when they initiated the traffic stop to have the driver of a white Chevy sedan pull the car over near the intersection of South Broadway and Rosecrans.
As the vehicle came to a stop, police said, someone in the car “immediately shot at the officers,” who returned fire. “It’s unknown if the suspect was struck,” the department reported on social media.
The man was attending a block party when he “ignited a large firework device” and put the lit firework on his head, possibly to show off, Dorchester County deputies said
“Don’t be surprised if you see more and more of them around in…Arapahoe County,” the sheriff’s office stated
“Big social and economic forces [drove] trends that began in 2020, but now there is considerable variation…that suggests local factors are becoming more significant,” said Council on Criminal Justice CEO Adam Gelb
“We are always here to help any agency as best we can with the resources available,” Lincolnwood Police Chief Jay Parrott said
The police account does not make clear whether it was the driver or someone else in the car who shot at the officers. A media officer said Thursday that no further details were available.
After the exchange of gunfire, the car sped away. Officers pursued it to the area of Broadway and 135th Street, where they lost sight of the vehicle traveling north on Broadway.
Fire Department paramedics transported the officers to a nearby hospital for examination and treatment. The LAPD reported Wednesday night that both were in stable condition.
“We are still in the early stages of this investigation,” the department posted. “Investigators still have body-worn video to review as well as other video and physical evidence to examine.”
“There is an active search for the suspect and vehicle,” the department wrote. “Investigators are urging anyone who may have been in the area and witnessed the attack on our officers to contact the LAPD .”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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