Police shot a gunman in the head, wounding him, during a hostage standoff that turned into a foot pursuit, which ended in downtown Culver City on St. Patrick’s Day, authorities said.
Los Angeles police officers responded to a domestic dispute about 8:40 p.m. last Thursday at a Wendy’s restaurant parking lot at Venice and Robertson boulevards in Palms, where a man held a gun pointed at a woman near a car full of children, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Richard Parks of the Pacific Station.
At least one officer opened fire and multiple shots were fired, Parks said.
The gunman fled on foot, prompting a brief pursuit, which ended with him being caught in front of the Trader Joe’s grocery store at 9290 Culver Blvd. in Culver City. He had suffered what police described as graze wounds to his head, and was taken to a hospital in stable condition and expected to survive. No one else was hurt.
The man, whose name was withheld, was expected to be charged with attempted murder, according to Lt. Gary Walters of the LAPD’s Pacific Station.
The incident led to road closures on Venice, Culver and Ince boulevards, disrupting traffic throughout downtown Culver City, where St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were winding down.
The Culver City Police Department responded to the incident but handed the investigation to the LAPD.
According to Walters, a domestic dispute is one of the more dangerous incidents an officer can be called to investigate because domestic crimes are “emotionally driven” and such suspects are more prone to attacking officers and endangering those around them.
