Category Archives: OIS

Man fatally shot at Alhambra Police Department identified

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ALHAMBRA — Coroner’s officials Saturday released the identity of a man shot to death by Alhambra police in the lobby of the police station after allegedly brandishing a large kitchen knife.
Tony Nim, 35, of Alhambra died at the scene of Friday’s officer-involved shooting, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Kristy McCracken said.
Nim showed up in the lobby of the Alhambra Police Department, 211 S. First St., shortly before the fatal shooting, which took place about 7:30 a.m., Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
He was clutching a large backpack and appeared incoherent, Lt. Dave Coleman of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said. Five officers tried to speak to him in several languages, however he would not respond to them.
Nim then pulled a large kitchen knife, which Coleman described as a foot long or larger, from his backpack. Three officers opened fire, fatally wounding Nim.
The names of the involved officers were not released Saturday.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau are handling the investigation, and anyone with information was asked to contact the bureau at 323-890-5500.

Officials: Suspect shot by El Monte police in San Gabriel backed truck toward police

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SAN GABRIEL — A man shot and wounded by El Monte police at the end of a pursuit in San Gabriel was backing a stolen delivery truck toward officers when they opened fire, authorities said Saturday.
The name of the suspect wounded in Friday’s 4:40 a.m. shooting on Leslie Drive, just west of San Marino Avenue in San San Gabriel, was not released by investigators. A second suspect not identified by authorities was also arrested in connection with the alleged truck theft.
Prior to the officer-involved shooting, officials said the two suspects stole a large box truck that was making a delivery to a 7-Eleven store in the 12100 block of Ramona Boulevard in El Monte, officials said.
El Monte police spotted the truck on the 10 Freeway and began a pursuit when it failed to pull over, Deputy Peter Gomez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau said in a written statement. The truck exited the freeway at Temple City Boulevard and crashed into several parked cars as the chase continued through Rosemead.
The truck briefly came to a stop on Guess Street, at which point one of the suspects got out and surrendered to police, Gomez said. But the other suspect then continued driving, leading officers into San Gabriel.
“When the suspect turned onto West Leslie Drive in San Gabriel, he stopped the stolen truck when he saw spike strips had been deployed,” according to Gomez. “The officers ordered the suspect to turn the vehicle off numerous times. The suspect did not comply and instead put the truck in reverse and started backing toward the officers, trying to hit them. At that time an officer-involved shooting took place.”
The wounded suspect was hospitalized in stable condition, while the other suspect was booked at the El Monte Police Department.
No officers were injured, officials said.

Suspect shot by El Monte police in San Gabriel

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El Monte police shot and wounded a suspect in San Gabriele arly Friday after he led them on a pursuit in a stolen delivery truck, authorities said.
The officer-involved shooting took place about 4:40 a.m. at San Marino Avenue and Leslie Drive, Deputy Don Walker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau said in a written statement.
The suspect was hospitalized and expected to survive, officials said.
No officers were injured in the incident, Walker said.
The suspect had allegedly stolen a large box truck from a 7-Eleven store in the 12100 block of Ramona Boulevard in El Monte, officials said. Officers spotted the truck on the 10 Freeway, initiating a pursuit that ended at the scene of the shooting in San Gabriel.
Information regarding what prompted police to open fire was not available early Friday as the investigation continued.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau were spearheading the investigation, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings involving Los Angeles County police agencies.

Suspect charged in Pasadena deputy-involved shooting; one of three suspects in prior home-invasion also charged

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PASADENA — Prosecutors Tuesday charged a two-strike felon with attempted murder of a peace officer and other counts in connection with a gunfight with a deputy last week, authorities said.
A U.S. Marshals task force arrested Michael Garrett, 24, of Pasadena Monday in San Bernardino County, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said. He was charged Tuesday with the attempted murder of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy, assault with a deadly weapon and being a convicted felon in possession of a gun.
The charges stem from a Thursday afternoon gunfight between the deputy and at least one suspect, Pasadena police officials said. No law enforcement officers were injured, though it was unclear if either of the suspects was wounded in the exchange.
The shooting took place as Pasadena police, with the help of sheriff’s deputies, were investigating the home-invasion robbery of an elderly woman which took place two days earlier, Pasadena police Cmdr. John Perez said.
No suspects in the shooting were arrested during the eight-hour manhunt that followed it, however police arrested three men in connection with the home-invasion robbery, officials said.
Two Pasadena men, Paul Darryl Scott, 31, and Marquice Garrett, 19, were found within the police search perimeter following the shooting and arrested on suspicion of home-invasion robbery, Perez said. A SWAT team arrested a third man, 20-year-old Eddie Brodney McFadden, the same evening in his hometown of Arcadia.
Scott and Marquice Garrett were released from custody without charges Tuesday pending further investigation, Ibarra said.
Prosecutors charged McFadden Tuesday with three counts of home-invasion robbery, one count of elder abuse, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of criminal threats and unlawful possession of a gun, the lieutenant said.
Michael and Marquice Garrett are family members, Ibarra said, adding that she believed them to be brothers.
The shooting with which Michael Garrett has been charged took place about 12:20 p.m. Thursday on Orange Grove Boulevard near Mar Vista Avenue, police said.
A deputy was following a car containing Garrett and at least one more suspect in connection with the previous home-invasion robbery, according to Pasadena police.
Another vehicle collided into the deputy’s car and fled, officials said. The deputy continued following the original car until it abruptly pulled into a driveway and at least two suspects got out.
At least one of the suspects began shooting at the deputy, who returned fire, police said.
It was not clear Wednesday if Michael Garrett fired a weapon during the gun battle, Ibarra said.
The home-invasion robbery that preceded the shooting took place about 11 p.m. March 12 in the 1900 block of Arroyo Boulevard, Perez said. Three armed and masked man forced their way into the home of an 89-year-old woman, with two other family members present, and robbed the home of cash and other valuables, investigators said. The crime was not initially reported to police,
Officials learned of the alleged crime the following day when the robbers called the victim and demanded she withdraw more money from her bank, Perez said. A bank employee thought the transaction suspicious and notified police. Upon speaking with the woman, officers were told of the home-invasion robbery.
According to county booking records, both Michael Garrett and McFadden were being held without bail.

Details emerge in fatal Pomona officer-involved shooting

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Details continued to emerge Monday in the fatal police shooting of an armed Pomona woman in a motel parking lot over the weekend.

A Pomona police officer and two Los Angeles County District Attorney’s investigators were taking part in a gang suppression patrol in response to recent violence in the city about 9:45 p.m. Saturday when they drove through a motel parking lot in the 900 block of West Holt Avenue, according to Los Angles County sheriff’s officials, who are assisting Pomona police in the investigation.

The three officers were riding in an unmarked SUV, but wearing vests and jackets that identified them as law enforcement offices, Lt. David Coleman of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.

“They were doing a routine drive-through of that motel,” Lt. Dave Coleman of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said. “That particular area is known for gang activity and narcotics activity.”

“They were immediately confronted by the suspect who was brandishing a handgun,” Coleman said.

Castaneda-Montoya pointed the gun at the officers, Coleman said. The Pomona officer and one of the D.A.’s investigators opened fire, fatally wounding the woman.

An autopsy was pending to determine how many times she was struck by the officers’ gunfire.

Her semi-automatic pistol was recovered and found to be loaded, with “one in the chamber,” the lieutenant added.

Castaneda-Montoya was believed to have been alone when she confronted the officers, Coleman said. It was not clear why she was at the motel, and it was unclear if she realized the men she accosted were police.

“Right now, we don’t have a theory about what caused it,” Coleman said. “We don’t know what she was doing.”

“The big question is why she aggressed the officers in the car,” he said.

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AP: Fullerton police officer shot during traffic stop

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FULLERTON — A Fullerton police office has been shot multiple times after he pulled over a car on a routine traffic stop.
The Orange County Register reports that the shooting occurred shortly after 12 a.m. Sunday in Fullerton when the officer approached the driver’s side window.
The officer, who is a seven-year veteran of the department, returned fire, but the vehicle fled the scene and was later found abandoned.
The officer was taken to a local hospital. He is expected to survive.
It is unknown whether either of the two people in the car was wounded.

- From the Associated Press

Alhambra robbery suspect arrested in San Marino following non-injury officer-involved shooting

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Police shot at, but did not hit, a suspect in an armed convenience store robbery before arresting him at San Marino High School early Sunday, officials said.
William Bolczak, 42, a transient from the Hemet area, was ultimately booked on suspicion of robbery and possession of prescription painkillers, Alhambra police Sgt. Eddie Rodriguez said.
The incident began about 11:20 p.m. Saturday when police responded to a robbery alarm at 7-Eleven, 1111 N. Garfield Ave., Alhambra police Sgt. Jerry Johnson said in a written statement.
Bolczak was armed with a knife during the robbery, Rodriguez said.
Moments later, a witness called police to report he had seen the robbery occur and was following the suspect as he drove east on Huntington Drive, Johnson said. With the information provided by the witness, officers found the suspect near San Marino High School, 2701 Huntington Drive.
“As the officers approached, the suspect threatened officers and made furtive movements toward his waistband,” Johnson said. “An officer-involved shooting then occurred.”
The alleged robber then ran onto the high school campus, police said. He was arrested following a search at 6:35 a.m.
The suspect was not wounded in the shooting, Rodriguez said. He did not know whether the knife used in the robbery had been recovered.
According to county booking records, Bolczak was being held in lieu of $65,000 bail pending a scheduled arraignment Wednesday in Alhambra Superior Court.

Woman killed in Pomona officer-involved shooting

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POMONA — Police shot and killed a woman who allegedly brandished a gun at them late Saturday in Pomona, where four homicides have been reported in the past week and a half, officials said.
Sonia Angelita Castaneda-Montoya, 28, of Pomona died at the scene of the shooting, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
No officers were injured in the incident, which took place about 9:45 p.m. in a motel parking lot in the 900 block of West Holt Avenue, officials said.
”Members of a multi-jurisdictional gang task force were driving through the parking lot of the location where they were confronted by a female suspect,” Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.”The female suspect brandished a handgun, resulting in an officer-involved shooting.”
A handgun was recovered, officials said.
Sheriff’s officials, who are assisting Pomona police in the investigation, did not say Sunday what agencies took part in the multi-agency task force, or what agency or agencies were involved in the shooting.
Pomona police deferred questions to the sheriff’s department. Handling detectives could not be reached for comment.
No further information was released.
A search of Los Angeles County Superior Court records shows Castadena-Montoya was convicted of robbery in June of 2004 in Pomona Superior Court. A charge of making criminal threats filed against her was dismissed.
Saturday night’s shooting involving the gang investigators took place during a period of heightened patrols in response to a recent deadly spate of violence in the city.
Four men died in four separate shootings between March 7 through 12, police said.
The first in the series of killings claimed the life of a 24-year-old man who was killed by a shooter inside a passing car as he walked with a child and two strollers on 9th Street in the middle of the afternoon.
Police have reported no arrests in any of the five killings.

Pasadena deputy-involved shooting stemmed from investigation into home-invasion robbery

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PASADENA — Sheriff’s deputies and police were seeking suspects in Pasadena home-invasion robbery Thursday when they became involved in a gunbattle with fleeing suspects, authorities said Friday.

Three men were arrested in connection with the home-invasion robbery investigation during a massive manhunt following Thursday’s 12:20 p.m. shooting along Orange Grove Boulevard near Mar Vista Avenue, but they were not named as suspects in the shooting, Pasadena police Cmdr. John Perez said.

“That’s still an ongoing part of the investigation,” he said.

Paul Darryl Scott, 31, and Marquice Garrett, 19, both of Pasadena, were arrested inside a large search perimeter that was cordoned off following the shooting, according to Pasadena police and Los Angeles County booking records.

Residents were kept from, or inside of, their homes as the massive search continued for about eight hours. The search area stretched from Lake Avenue to Hill Avenue, and from Villa Street to Orange Grove Boulevard, officials said. City officials set up two temporary evacuation shelters to accommodate those displaced.

A third suspect wanted in connection with the home-invasion robbery investigation, Eddie Brodney McFadden, 20, was arrested about 8:30 p.m. in his hometown of Arcadia, according to officials and booking records.

Pasadena police, including a SWAT team, and sheriff’s deputies showed up at a home in the 100 block of Alta Street, just southwest of the intersection of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia police Lt. Mike Castro said.

Officials evacuated nearby homes and soon arrested McFadden without a struggle, officials added.

None of the three home-invasion robbery suspects arrested had gunshot wounds, Sgt. Kate Favara said.

The shooting took place while a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in an unmarked car had been following a vehicle Thursday as part of the investigation into the robbery, police said. A second car struck the deputy’s vehicle and fled, police said.

The deputy continued following the original car, which pulled into a driveway along Orange Grove before at least two occupants exited and at least one opened fire, according to Pasadena police.

A deputy traded gunfire with at least one suspect, police said. No law enforcement officers were injured, and it was not clear if the suspects were wounded.

The home-invasion robbery that sparked the investigation took place about 11:00 p.m. Tuesday at the home of female senior citizen in the 1900 block of North Arroyo Boulevard, Perez said. Several other adult family members were also at the home at the time.

“Three individuals entered that home armed with weapons,” Perez said. The masked robbers made off with a “large amount” of money — thousands of dollars – along with other personal items, he said. No injuries were reported.

The robbery was not reported to police, Perez said.

The following day, the robbers contacted the woman by telephone and demanded that she withdraw more money from the bank and bring it back to the house, Perez said.

She went to the bank to comply, but bank employees found the withdrawal request suspicious and contacted police, Perez said. Upon speaking with the woman at the bank, she told officers of the previous day’s home-invasion robbery.

“We started doing all the different steps to determine who might be involved,” Perez said. Police teamed with sheriff’s deputies in a joint investigation. “That investigation led to Thursday’s surveillance operation.”

It was during the surveillance operation that the shooting occurred.

After an eight-hour manhunt Thursday, police announced the search in Pasadena had come to an end shortly after 8:30 p.m., and that no suspects in the shooting had been arrested. Residents kept away from their homes were allowed to return at that time.

The shooting itself was being investigated by detectives from the sheriff’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

Scott was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, records show, while Garrett was being held in lieu of $150,000 bail. McFadden was being held without bail.

UPDATED: Police fatally shoot armed man in Monterey Park

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MONTEREY PARK — Police investigating a Valentine’s Day disturbance between a boyfriend and girlfriend shot and killed an Ontario man early Friday after he allegedly brandished a gun, authorities said.
Emmanuel Franco, 25, died at the scene of the officer-involved shooting, which took place just after midnight in the 400 block of South Atlantic Avenue, Lt. Larry Dietz of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said.
Monterey Park police officers responded to a report of a disturbance between a boyfriend and girlfriend at a motel, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
On arrival, the officers were directed to a vehicle that was leaving the motel, officials said. Two patrol cars pulled the vehicle over at Atlantic Boulevard and Harding Avenue.
“The suspect vehicle stopped and a male passenger exited the vehicle,” according to the sheriff’s department statement. “After the suspect brandished a handgun, an officer involved shooting occurred.”
The man — later identified as Franco — died at the scene, officials said, and a handgun was recovered, officials said.
It was not clear how many officers fired, how many shots were fired or how many times the suspect was struck. Also not released was whether the driver of the vehicle the suspect had been riding in was the girlfriend mentioned in the initial call to police.
No officers were injured in the incident, officials added.
A phone number listed in public records as belonging to Franco was disconnected Friday.
A search of San Bernardino and Los Angeles County booking records turned up numerous prior convictions for Franco, all of them traffic cases primarily involving driving on a suspended license.
Franco’s license was suspended following an August, 2006 drunken driving conviction, according to court documents.
A domestic violence case Franco was dismissed in November of last year, and he had no conviction for violent crimes in Los Angeles or San Bernardino counties.
Monterey Park police officials deferred all comments to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, which is assisting in the investigation. Handling detectives could not be reached for comment.
Officials shut down the intersection of Atlantic Boulevard and Harding Avenue as they investigated the scene until about 9:30 a.m.
No further details were available.