Man shot after yelling loudly, throwing trash cans
By Sam Catanzaro
On July 14, 2019 at about 2:11 a.m., Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Officers responded to a call for service in the area of 10th Street and Pacific Avenue regarding a male subject creating a disturbance. Multiple calls were received of a male subject yelling loudly, throwing trash cans around and trying to open car doors. Officers handled a similar call involving the same subject and similar circumstances earlier that morning, says the SMPD.
According to the SMPD, officers located the subject in the 2000 block of Lincoln Court.
“As officers exited their vehicle, the subject ran towards one of the officers. An encounter ensued between the subject and one of the officers. During the encounter, the subject was struck by a single gunshot fired by the officer. Officers immediately began to render medical aid to the subject,” SMPD Lieutenant Saul Rodriguez said.
Santa Monica Fire Department Paramedics responded to the scene and treated the subject. The subject was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. The subject was treated and later released from the hospital.
The subject is identified as Wolfgang Mountford, a 29-year old white male from Van Nuys, CA. Mountford was booked at the Santa Monica Jail for 69 P.C. – Resisting an Officer with Force/Violence. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Airport Branch for filing consideration.
According to Rodriguez, this is the first Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) of 2019. The previous OIS in Santa Monica was on August 8, 2017 when Chandler Charles Davis was non-fatally shot by SMPD officers after murdering a man on Main Street and Strand Avenue.
The incident is under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Santa Monica Police Department. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Officer Involved Shooting Response Team was notified and responded for an independent investigation. In accordance with Santa Monica Police Department Policy in relation to an officer-involved shooting, a concurrent administrative investigation has been initiated.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Haro at (310) 458-8432: Sergeant Christopher Skogh at (310) 458-8992; or the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.
