An officer with the Whittier Police Department was hospitalized following a shooting Monday night.
It happened in the 7300 block of Pickering Avenue at 8:40 p.m., Lt. Hugo Reynaga of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told City News Service.
Officers were conducting surveillance on 25-year-old Edgar Gonzalez, who was wanted in connection to a murder in Santa Fe Springs on July 30, Lt. Hugo Reynaga said.
When a traffic stop was conducted, Gonzalez ran away. Police followed him as he ended up between two apartment complexes, which is where the shooting happened.
At one point, Gonzalez tossed a semiautomatic handgun and kept running, according to ABC-7.
A K-9 was brought in as officers used a less lethal 40 mm baton on Gonzalez.
The officer was shot in the leg, while Gonzalez was shot in the hand. Gonzalez was taken into custody and hospitalized.
Both the officer and Gonzalez are expected to survive.
Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said the officer was “in good spirits” and praised law enforcement's response.
“Awesome response from all our law-enforcement brothers and sisters,” he wrote.
One witness told KNX News’ Jon Baird she was coming when the shooting place.
“I didn't see the actual gun, but I did see the light,” she said. “It looked just like a firework. There was a neighbor down there, he was watering the grass and you know, I [saw] him get down just because everything happened so fast.”
The L.A. County Sheriff’s detectives are assisting with the investigation.
Anyone with information about this shooting was urged to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous callers may call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or send tips to lacrimestoppers.org
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