Azusa officer hospitalized in critical condition, suspect dead after shootout

An Azusa police officer was severely injured and one suspect was killed in a shootout Wednesday afternoon, authorities confirmed.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told The Times that the officer was hospitalized in critical condition but is expected to survive.

The shooting occurred at 3:53 p.m. in the 1000 block of West Gladstone Street after police received information about a stolen vehicle in the area, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the shooting. Officers found the vehicle and identified two people “who were in and near the vehicle.�

When officers approached, one of the suspects, identified only as a white man between 25 and 30 years old, ran away, deputies said. The officers caught up to the man after a short foot chase.

The man got in a physical struggle with officers, took out a handgun and shot at them, one of whom returned fire, deputies said.

One officer was hit in the lower torso and taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, deputies said.

The suspect suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said. Investigators recovered the suspect’s handgun.

A second suspect, identified as a 28-year-old Latino woman, was detained by authorities, deputies said.

Further information about the shooting and investigation was not available Wednesday night.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Anonymous tips can be submitted to Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or by visiting lacrimestoppers.org.

Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.