The Los Angeles Police Department has suspended the search for a gunman who was allegedly involved in the ambush of two police officers on Sunday night, police officials said.
The two LAPD officers were responding to an unrelated call when they were targeted inside their patrol car by two suspects driving southbound on Hoover Street near 62nd Street in South Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported. Some eight hours after the attack, the search was called off just before 6 a.m. on Monday.
The shooting was "a completely unprovoked attack," LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza told KTLA.
Around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, two officers were responding to a radio call in South Los Angeles when they spotted the muzzle flash of a rifle pointed in their direction, with two suspects immediately open firing at their patrol car.
Despite the surprise attack, neither officer was hurt and they were able to return fire, NBC Southern California said.
"One of our officers returned fire, and the two individuals who had shot at the officers fled into the neighborhood," Det. Meghan Aguilar said, adding that dozens of police officers with search dogs rushed to the shooting area to search for the armed suspects as a citywide tactical alert went in effect.
"Armed suspect in the area," the police station posted on Facebook, advising residents to stay indoors. "Please keep our officers in your thoughts and prayers!"
After launching a manhunt in a three-block area around the shooting scene, one of the suspects was arrested and taken into custody for questioning while police began seeking a second gunman on the loose, LAPD spokeswoman Officer Nuria Venegas said on Monday morning. A weapon was also discovered nearby.
"We do not have a face or a name, there are leads that investigators are following up on," Det. Meghan Aguilar said. "This is obviously a dangerous individual who does not belong on the streets of Los Angeles."
At about 5:45 a.m. Monday, the search for the second suspect, consisting of more than 60 officers, a K-9 unit, a SWAT team, and an LAPD helicopter, was halted and the tactical alert was cancelled, The Los Angeles Times reported.
The suspect, who is believed to be between 18 and 25 years old, has not been located yet.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear if the motive of the attack was related to the Dec. 20 fatal shooting of two New York City police officers.
"We're unaware of any specific ties to this happening in New York. Of course that's something we'll be looking at," Det. Aguilar said. "It's a nationwide conversation right now, so it's not something we'll discount or ignore."
