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Authorities searched Sunday for a gunman who shot and seriously wounded two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who were sitting in their cruiser, an apparent ambush that prompted an irate response from the president.
The 31-year-old female deputy and the 24-year-old male deputy underwent surgery on Saturday night (local time), Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at an evening news conference. They both graduated from the academy 14 months ago, he said.
Both were in critical condition on Sunday afternoon (local time), Representative Trina Schrader 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 when he urged people to pray for deputies.
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“That angers me. It dismays me at the same time,” he said.
The department tweeted a video of the shooting showing a person opening fire through the passenger side window of the patrol car.
Uncredited / AP
A screen capture from security camera video released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shows a gunman approaching sheriff’s officers and opening fire without warning or provocation in Compton, California.
“The gunman approached the officers and opened fire without warning or provocation,” the department said.
The video sparked a reaction from US President Trump, who responded on Twitter: “Animals to be hit hard!”
“This cold-blooded shooting is unthinkable and the perpetrator must be brought to justice,” tweeted Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. “Violence of any kind is wrong; those who commit it must be caught and punished.”
Uncredited / AP
Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva answering questions at an evening news conference about the condition of two sheriff’s deputies in Compton, California.
A handful of protesters gathered in front of the hospital where the injured officers were being treated. The protesters tried to provoke the deputies posted outside and at one point were prevented from entering the emergency room, Bishop Juan Carlos Méndez of the Iglesias en Acción group told US television station KABC.
Unacceptable behavior. The hospital must be a sanctuary, we must leave the hospitals alone, ”he said. Mendez and members of his group gathered nearby to pray for the injured deputies.
“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. The sheriff’s department later tweeted that the reporter interfered with the arrest of a male protester.
Jintak Han / AP
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies guard the entrance to the St Francis Medical Center on September 13, 2020.
“The adult woman, who was later identified as a member of the press, did not identify herself as a press and later admitted that she did not have the proper press credentials on her person,” the department said.
After her release, Josie Huang, a reporter for the US public radio station KPCC, an affiliate of National Public Radio, said on Twitter that she had seen the statements from sheriff’s officers and had “thoughts and videos to share shortly after a small break”.
A video that Huang said he recorded moments before his arrest showed two men carrying red, black and green flags and yelling at officers outside the hospital while some other people were recording on their cell phones.
The station’s executive editor, Megan Garvey, expressed her outrage at the arrest, saying her journalist appeared to be wearing her credentials and had yelled her affiliation with KPCC. NPR editorial director Nancy Barnes said the network was “shocked” by the arrest of a reporter who was doing her job.
Meanwhile, the search for the gunman continued.
Jintak Han / AP
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies guard the entrance to St Francis Medical Center early Monday.
Captain Kent Wegener said officers were covering the area looking for the suspect seen in the video opening fire with a handgun.
“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 south of downtown Los Angeles.
The US Department of Justice would assist sheriff’s investigators with “all available federal tools,” spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said on Twitter.
Protesters have criticized the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for weeks for recent officer shootings, including the murder of a man on a bicycle last month.
“Of course, there is an important conversation about policing in this country, but these are people who risked their lives for us and we will find justice for them,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on CNN Sunday (local time) .
