The streets of Los Angeles turned chaotic when a blue Audi Sport Utility vehicle, driven recklessly by one Marc Gonzales, sparked not one, but two pursuits by the LAPD on January 14. In a report released by the LAPD Newsroom, Gonzales evaded police following a collision with a roadside light pole, leading to an aerial search and another chase before he crashed at Hooper Avenue and 12th Street.
The ordeal peaked when Gonzales, gun in hand, walked toward responding officers and, ignoring multiple commands to drop the weapon, raised his handgun — an action that culminated in an officer-involved shooting. According to the LAPD's statement, "Gonzales was struck by gunfire and collapsed on the sidewalk." Despite the violent exchange, officers provided aid until paramedics took over, transporting the injured Gonzales to a local hospital where he remains in stable condition.
But the incident didn't unfold without collateral damage. During the pursuit but before the shooting, Gonzalez discharged his weapon, inadvertently striking a passerby, who was later treated for a gunshot wound to the thigh and released from the hospital on the same day. The pursuing officers involved in the initial traffic mishap walked away without serious injury, and no other law enforcement personnel were harmed.
At the scene, investigators from the LAPD's specialized Force Investigation Division collected evidence and took witness statements to piece together the events that led to the shooting. A Glock 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun was recovered at the scene. The full inquiry into the use of force, once complete, will pass through the hands of the police chief, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to judge its compliance with departmental policies.
