A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department motor officer was shot Monday in West Covina, with a bulletproof vest likely saving his life, and a suspect was later detained.
The shooting occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on or near the San Bernardino (10) Freeway at Barranca Street around Garvey Avenue in West Covina. The deputy was taken to an ambulance but was alert and conscious, with the bulletproof vest believed to have effectively stopped the bullet.
According to reports from the scene, a witness told responding deputies that the shots were fired from a white van, and authorities quickly tracked the vehicle to a home in the 600 block of Mangate Avenue in nearby La Puente.
Deputies swarmed the neighborhood and took a suspect into custody, while also searching a large RV parked near the van outside the home.
No other details were immediately available.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said the deputy works out of the sheriff’s Century Station in Lynwood and was in West Covina for training.
“Thankfully, the bullet struck his bulletproof vest and he is going to be OK,” Hahn said in a statement. “This could have been so much worse, and it is a reminder to all of us that our deputies put their lives on the line everyday to protect our communities. I stand ready to support the sheriff as he and his deputies work to bring the person responsible to justice.”