This story has been updated with a more comprehensive report which can be viewed by clicking HERE
Residents in Sunset Park awoke to the sound of gunfire early Tuesday morning by an incident that left one Santa Monica Police officer shot followed by a nearly four-hour search for the suspect.
Ultimately, the suspect was located by SWAT and engaged in a second round of gunfire. The suspect was taken to a local hospital. The injured officer “underwent surgery and is expected to recover,” Santa Monica Police Chief Tim Jackman told reporters later that morning on the scene. He has been described in several reports as (at least) a 15-year veteran of the force.
At approximately 1:30 a.m., that officer routinely stopped a black Nissan SUV for suspected Driving Under the Influence (DUI) at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Bay Street, one block South of Pico Boulevard. After calling for backup (which arrived quickly as that area is not far from SMPD headquarters) a passenger exited the vehicle and opened fire, hitting the officer. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. The driver was arrested.
Jackman said additional officers were then called in, including SWAT, canine units and even a police search helicopter. Shortly after 5 a.m., “a potential suspect who presented a threat to the SWAT officers [was located], that suspect was engaged in gunfire by the SWAT officers and was struck,” Jackman said. “He was transported to a local hospital.” Jackman did not specify the suspects condition or how serious the injuries are.
The names of the driver, the shooting suspect, and the officer have not yet been made public.
