By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
WHITTIER, Calif. — A shootout between a murder suspect and an officer ended with the officer being struck twice in the lower extremities and the gunman shot in the hand, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Officers with the Whittier Police Department were conducting surveillance on a suspect, identified as Edgar Gonzalez, 25, who was wanted in connection with a killing in Santa Fe Springs, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said.
Around 8:40 p.m. on Monday, officers attempted to stop Gonzalez. Officers directed the suspect to get out of the vehicle several times, and when he did, he ran off.
Police pursued the suspect and caught up with him between two apartment complexes, where at least one officer opened fire. In the shootout, an officer was hit twice and the gunman was hit in the hand, sheriff’s officials said.
After the shooting, the suspect continued running and tossed his firearm along the way. A police K-9 was brought in and officers used a less-lethal 40mm baton round on Gonzalez before he was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.
The officer and Gonzalez were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for their injuries.
Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said the officer was “in good spirits” following the shooting.
The mayor praised the “awesome response” from responding law enforcement officers.