Two Los Angeles police officers shot in apparent ambush

The shooting of two Los Angeles County sheriff’s officers in an apparent ambush sparked a manhunt for the shooter, the president’s reaction, and protests outside the hospital where the wounded officers were being treated Saturday night in California.

The 31-year-old deputy and the 24-year-old male deputy underwent surgery Saturday night, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at an evening news conference. They both graduated from the academy 14 months ago, he said.

The officers were shot while sitting in their patrol car at a Metro train station and were able to radio for help, the sheriff said.

Villanueva, whose department has come under fire during recent protests over race riots, expressed frustration at anti-police sentiment by urging people to pray for officers.

“It bothers me. It dismays me at the same time,” he said.

The department shared a video of the shooting in a Twitter post that showed a person opening fire through the passenger-side window of the patrol car.

“The gunman approached the officers and opened fire without warning or provocation,” the department said.

The video sparked thousands of reactions, including from President Donald Trump, who responded: “Animals that must be hit hard!”

The protesters gathered outside the hospital emergency room where the injured officers were being treated.

“To the protesters blocking the entrance and exit of the HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM yelling ‘We hope they die’ referring to 2 LA Sheriff’s ambushed today in #Compton: DO NOT BLOCK THE EMERGENCY ENTRIES AND EXITS TO THE HOSPITAL,” tweeted the Department of the sheriff.

“People’s lives are at stake when ambulances can’t get through.” A radio reporter who was near the protest site was detained, KABC-TV reported. It was not immediately clear why he was detained.

Captain Kent Wegener said officers were covering the area in search of a suspect seen in the video opening fire with a pistol.

“We have a very, very generic description,” he said.

The incident occurred around 7 p.m. a short distance from the Compton sheriff’s station.

– AP