A Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) security camera video obtained by Breitbart News shows the violent attack on police officers that took place late Saturday at the Harbor Station in San Pedro. It was the latest in a string of gun attacks against L.A. law enforcement in recent weeks.
The video shows the lobby of the Harbor Station where the incident occurred. LAPD said in an official statement the attack began around 10 p.m. Saturday when a Hispanic male entered the lobby and was met by the officer on duty. The suspect then assaulted the officer, seizing his gun and opening fire, though the officer wasn’t hit.
Upon hearing the commotion, the watch commander responded to the incident in the lobby, at which time an “officer-involved shooting occurred,” according to LAPD. The suspect then fled the scene in a white pick up truck and was later successfully apprehended.
The video (see above) shows more detail from Saturday’s incident. The suspect appears to enter the lobby and then retreat after encountering the first officer. But the suspect quickly returns to assault the officer by pushing him to the ground and repeatedly striking him.
The suspect then appears to be in the process of fleeing the scene when the watch commander arrives. Gun fire appears to ensue and the watch commander takes cover as the suspect flees the scene. A third officer enters the lobby and pursues the suspect along with the watch commander.
The suspect has reportedly been identified as Jose Cerpa Guzman, 29. He is reportedly being held on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, with a $2.23 million bail. LAPD chief Michel Moore said the first officer sustained “bumps and bruises” but wasn’t shot.
Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) said the officer “is in stable condition and we’re closely monitoring the situation.”
L.A. law enforcement has experienced a string of anti-cop violence in the months since the Black Lives Matter riots engulfed the city. On Saturday, an officer coming off his shift at the West Valley Community Police Station in Reseda came under fire when a gunman in a black SUV shot at the officer’s vehicle. The officer survived the attempted shooting.
Earlier this month, two L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies in Compton were attacked in an ambush shooting while sitting in their police cruiser. Both officers sustained bullet wounds in the face and other parts of the body, but they both survived the horrific incident.
Garcetti has bowed to pressure from BLM activists who have demanded the defunding of police departments around the country. In July, the city council voted in favor of a plan to slash $150 million from the LAPD’s budget for the next fiscal year.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
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