LOS ANGELES, Sept 14 (NNN-Xinhua) — A 100,000-U.S.-dollar reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect who shot two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies Saturday night, authorities said.
The reward was authorized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for “a lone gunman,” who is described as a male Black 28-30 years-old, wearing dark clothing, said the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) in a statement.
Both deputies were shot in Compton, a city situated south of downtown Los Angeles, and transported to a local hospital.
The suspect approached the vehicle from behind and fired several rounds from his firearm at the deputies, striking them. The deputies sustained critical injuries, according to the department.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide investigators are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, encouraging anyone with information about the incident to contact the department.
A video clip of the shooting posted online by the Sheriff’s Department showed the suspect moving towards a sheriff’s vehicle parked by the roadside and opening fire without warning or provocation. The shooter then ran away from the scene.
“We at the LASD would like to offer our sincerest appreciation for the overwhelming support being offered from all over the Nation. We also wish to thank the LA County Board of Supervisors for sponsoring the 100,000-dollar reward for the arrest and conviction of this coward,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva in the statement.
Villanueva said that the deputies “survived the shooting and (are) recovering, a double miracle” and detectives had been “working furiously overnight” to identify the shooter, The Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
One of the deputies is a 31-year-old mother of a six-year-old boy and the other is a 24-year-old man, said officials in a news briefing.
The ambush provoked a wave of denunciation in the county. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden condemned the attack.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the attack a “cowardly, horrific act” and noted that “the perpetrator must be quickly brought to justice.”
Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti also strongly condemned “this cowardly ambush” in a tweet and sent prayers of healing to the deputies shot “in a horrific attack.”
