MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP) - A gunfight between police and a pair of suspects in a Los Angeles suburb Sunday left one gunman dead, an officer and two bystanders injured and the second suspect on the run, authorities said.
Monterey Park police dispatcher Jim Blankenship said an officer from his department was shot shortly before 5 p.m. about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Officers responding to reports of a crash and stabbing were fired on when they arrived at the scene, police Capt. Eugene Harris told the Los Angeles Times.
That set off a running gunfight through the streets, with officers shooting and fatally wounded a suspect. They were still seeking a second suspect hours later.
"It was very chaotic," Harris said. "There were people everywhere."
The officer who was shot was wearing a bulletproof vest and was expected to survive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Benjamin Grubb told The Associated Press. He was being treated at County-USC Hospital.
Harris said two bystanders were injured, but it was not clear whether they were hurt in the initial incident or the shootout.
The Sheriff's Department sent deputies, homicide detectives and a helicopter to assist police, Grubb said.
Police departments from neighboring cities including Montebello and Alhambra also sent officers to help.