The Los Angeles Police Department Saturday released the names of the two officers involved in an exchange of gunfire with a homicide suspect in Jefferson Park who later stabbed himself multiple times before being taken into custody.
The officers were identified as Bryan Ponce and Angel Romo.
The shootout occurred in the early afternoon on Aug. 23. Police responded to a call in the 2300 block of West 23rd Street, between Cimarron Street and Gramercy Place, according to an LAPD statement.
Officers were told a victim was attacked by the suspect — later identified as 40 year-old Andrew Smith — and was down in front of a house. They found the victim and as they approached, they saw Smith, who opened fire on them, police said.
At least one officer returned fire, and Smith — who was not hit — retreated into the house, prompting officers to seal off the area and call in a SWAT team.
“Upon arrival, SWAT personnel, along with the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Tactical Emergency Medical Support unit, conducted a rescue operation and moved the victim to safety,” according to an LAPD statement.
The LAFD tactical unit pronounced the victim dead, police said. He was identified Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner as 89-year-old Robert Knight.
“After a prolonged stand-off with Smith failing to surrender, SWAT element members entered the residence and located him in a second-floor bedroom where he was taken into custody without further incident,” police said.
The standoff ended at about 9:15 p.m.
Fire department personnel took Smith to a hospital, where he was treated for numerous self-inflicted stab wounds. He was listed in critical but stable condition, police said.
No officers or other civilians were injured.
“A loaded 9mm assault rifle-style, semi-automatic pistol, three high- capacity magazines, a large folding knife and two large, fixed-blade knives were recovered from inside the residence and booked as evidence,” according to the LAPD, whose Force Investigation Division was investigating the encounter along with the department’s Robbery Homicide Division.
LAPD South Bureau detectives are investigating the fatality.