LA Shootout Captured on Body Cam

Recently released footage from the LAPD reveals the intense moments of a shootout in Boyle Heights, where a suspect who was trying to escape turns around, brandishes a handgun, and fires at officers. In the chaos, one officer was shot in the chest, but fortunately, he was thrown backwards due to the impact without sustaining serious injury.

The dramatic video documents the entire sequence: a police pursuit, a crash, a foot chase, followed by the gunfire that ended with an injured officer and a seriously wounded suspect.

The ordeal began on June 9 around 1:47 p.m. when LAPD officers from the Newton and Hollenbeck Patrols attempted to pull over a gray pickup truck near Washington Boulevard and Alameda Street because of altered or missing temporary license plates.

Refusing to stop, the driver led police on a chase, which was caught on dashboard camera. Video footage later shows the truck swerving through oncoming traffic before it ultimately crashed into an embankment on Garnet Street near Marietta Street in Boyle Heights.

After exiting the wrecked vehicle, the suspect fled on foot. As the officers approached, he suddenly turned, drew a handgun, and fired multiple rounds at the pursuing officers. That’s when the shocking moment unfolded on body camera.

One officer was hit in the chest, but his bulletproof vest absorbed the blow, which likely saved his life. “Thankfully, he was wearing a bulletproof vest and his life was saved,” noted LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell on that day.

In response, other officers quickly returned fire, hitting the suspect and bringing the incident to a close. After the gunfight, the suspect was found in critical condition.

A subsequent LAPD video conference displayed evidence collected from the scene showing bullet holes in the suspect’s handgun, the officer’s body armor, and even damage to a police vehicle.