Hawthorne police

Police Officer Wounded in Hawthorne Shooting

A witness at the scene told reporters he saw the suspect pull his gun out and heard "tons of gunfire."

A police officer and a suspect were both shot and wounded in an officer-involved shooting in Hawthorne Sunday.

The officer suffered a gunshot wound -- reportedly to the leg -- and was rushed to an area hospital, where Hawthorne police said he was awake and alert.

The suspect was struck by gunfire and taken to a local hospital in unknown condition, said Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Information Bureau.

That suspect was later arrested in connection with the officer-involved shooting, the Hawthorne Police Department said, adding that no other suspects were involved in the incident.

Officers were dispatched about 9:20 a.m. to the 14400 block of Aviation Boulevard, in response to a man chasing a woman in the lobby of a hotel, according to Hawthorne police.

Hawthorne Police Chief Michael Ishii said officers arrived to find the suspect running across the street and into a shopping center.

The Sheriff's Department was called about 9:30 a.m. to assist.

A witness at the scene told reporters he saw the suspect pull his gun out and heard "tons of gunfire."

Ishii said the gunman was armed with "some sort of assault rifle ... or high-capacity weapon."

Authorities asked the public to avoid the area of Rosecrans and Aviation as the investigation continued.

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call (323) 890-5500.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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