Two Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies were shot Saturday near a train station. Sheriff Alex Villanueva called the incident an "ambush."
The department tweeted that a man and a woman were "ambushed as they sat in their patrol vehicle." Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were transported to St. Francis Medical Center, according to homicide captain Kent Wegener. Villanueva said in a that both deputies were out of surgery and remain in critical condition.
The suspect, who was taken from a nearby Metropolitan Transportation Authority camera, remains at large.
The two deputies were both recent graduates of Class 437. Villanueva said he had sworn them in about 14 months earlier. He described the deputies as a "31-year-old mother of a 6-year-old boy" and a "24-year-old."
"This is just a sober reminder it's a dangerous job. Actions, words have consequence," Villanueva said. "And our job does not get any easier because people don't like law enforcement," he added, referencing the nationwide protests against police violence that have been taking place since May, following the police killing of George Floyd.
The attack was reported at about 7 p.m. Pacific time at the Compton terminal of the Metro's blue line. According to Wegener, the deputies were able to radio for help.
California State Assembly Member Mike Gipson said he was praying for both of the officers and their families and hoped for a speedy recovery for the two. Fellow Assembly Member Reggie Jones-Sawyer urged the community to "condemn the act of the perpetrators," calling the deputies heroes.
The FBI in Los Angeles said in a that it would offer resources and stand ready to assist the Sheriff's Department's investigation.
Villanueva noted the attack came at a time when the department was stretched thin. Citing the protests in South LA and the Bobcat Fire, Villanueva said deputies had been working "very long hours these days."
President Trump responded to the incident, saying in a that whoever shot the deputies were "Animals that must be hit hard!"
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
