A tense standoff between a Los Angeles man and police escalated to gunfire Thursday morning, landing the suspect in cuffs and an officer in the hospital, the LAPD reported.
Responding to a call about a restraining order violation at a home on Paxton Street, LAPD officers encountered a witness who pointed them toward the problem, in the back house, where Pete Garcia defied orders to come out; instead, a violent clash unfolded, said authorities.
The altercation began after officers engaged Garcia, 52, for several minutes attempting to persuade him to leave the house peacefully, according to the LAPD Newsroom. During their attempts to arrest him, Garcia allegedly pulled a 'Ghost Gun' from his waistband, aimed it at the officers, and fired, without hitting anyone; one officer deployed a Taser at Garcia simultaneously.
Garcia's bullet, however, didn't miss everything, it struck a metal bed frame, and fragments from the impact injured an officer's hand; meanwhile, Garcia was taken to a local hospital for unrelated health issues before being charged with attempted murder on a police officer and is currently held on a steep $2.08 million bail.
The injured officer received treatment and was subsequently released; no other injuries were reported from the incident which has now triggered an extensive investigation by the LAPD’s Force Investigation Division, with oversight by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Crimes Against Peace Officers Section.
