Details emerge in El Monte police gun battle with suspect

EL MONTE — Details continued to emerge Saturday regarding a gun battle between El Monte police and a suspect that left two officers, the suspect and a civilian wounded, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 4 p.m. at Durfee Avenue and Valley Boulevard, police and sheriff’s officials said.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials, who are helping El Monte police with the investigation, withheld the suspects’ name Saturday citing an ongoing investigation. He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and was being held without bail.
“Two El Monte police officers were investigating a hit-and-run traffic collision when the suspect returned to the location, shot at the officers, and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Guillermina Saldana said in a written statement.
Both officers returned fire, wounding the suspect, officials said.
One officer was shot in his right forearm and the other suffered a grazing wound to his right thigh, Saldana said.
The victim of the original hit-and-run crash was shot in his right ankle, she added. Officials did not say Saturday whether the civilian was wounded by a bullet fired by the suspect or police.
“The (wounded) suspect then drove Southbound on Durfee Avenue where he collided with a responding police unit,” Saldana said.
The suspect got out of his vehicle and tried to carjack another driver near the intersection of Durfee and Elliot avenues, but the would-be carjacking victim fought back, according to police and sheriff’s officials. No further information about the alleged attempted carjacking victim was released.
Police shocked the suspect with a Taser and arrested him, Saldana said. A 9mm semi-automatic handgun was found at the scene.
The injured police officers, civilian and suspect were all hospitalized in stable condition, El Monte police officials said.

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