Calif. Police Officer Shot Trying to Nab Murder Suspect after Stop

Aug. 1, 2023
A Whittier police officer suffered two gunshot wounds to his lower extremities while chasing a man of an earlier murder on foot during a surveillance operation.

A California police officer was shot and wounded while chasing a murder suspect following a traffic stop Monday.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the incident happened at about 7 p.m. when Whittier police were conducting surveillance on an individual believed to be the gunman in a murder Sunday, KABC-TV reports. When officers pulled over the suspect, the 25-year-old man—identified as Edgar Gonzalez—exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

The foot chase ended up in an area between two apartment complexes, and Gonzalez opened fire. An officer was struck in his lower extremities by the gunfire, and Gonzalez continued to flee, allegedly discarding his weapon.

Police finally deployed a K-9 and used a baton to apprehend Gonzalez, who suffered a gunshot wound to the hand. Gonzalez and the officer were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

According to a social media update by Mayor Joe Vinatieri, the wounded officer was in "good spirits"

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.

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