An off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer confronted intruders during a burglary attempt Tuesday at the officer's San Gabriel home, according to law enforcement sources.
Investigators said they believe a total of four suspects were involved and all were minors.
The officer was sleeping when two of the suspects entered the house. He heard a noise and confronted the pair. One was shot in the abdomen and the other in the leg.
The boy with the stomach wound was hospitalized after the altercation in the community about 12 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, according to the San Marino Fire Department. A retired doctor helped by offering treatment before first responders arrived.
"(The officer) was calm. He was very calm. He was a little shook up, but he was calm," said Dr. William Loskot, who lives two homes down and rushed over when he heard the gunshots.
"(The suspect) just said 'I don't want to die. I don't want to die,'" Loksot said. "I said, 'Don't worry, you're not going to die.'"
The suspect told Loksot he is 17 years old.
News
Top news of the day
The boy who was shot in the leg fled in a getaway car and was taken to a hospital. He is in stable condition.
The officer, who was home alone, was not injured, according to police, who responded to the neighborhood after a report of a burglary in progress.
All four are under arrest, but officials also said they aren't sure if any of them were armed.
"We haven't found a gun at this point, so we don't know exactly what the circumstances were that led to the shooting," said Lt. Eddie Hernandez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
LAPD said the involved officer is a 29-year veteran of the department, and has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, as per protocol.
On Tuesday night, investigators had not located a suspect weapon. The investigation continues into whether the shooting was justified.
Officials said the city of San Gabriel had 9 reported burglaries last year. This year, the count is already up to 24 burglaries, excluding Tuesday's alleged burglary.
