Two El Monte police officers were killed in the line of duty on Tuesday night, along with the suspect, after responding to a possible stabbing in the Southern California city.
“The city of El Monte is saddened and shocked by tonight’s tragic shooting that killed two of our own police officers,” police said.
Both officers were transported to LAC-USC Medical Center but died from their injuries. KTLA reported that one of the officers was a 22-year police veteran and the other had been on the force for about a year.
The city, police department, and police officers association expressed their sadness in a joint statement.
“It weighs heavy on our hearts and we are sending our supports to their families. We would also like to thank the El Monte community and our surrounding government agencies for the outpouring support we have received in the last few hours.”
Police said the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) had taken over the investigation and El Monte police were actively participating in the investigation.
The unidentified male suspect was also killed during the exchange of gunfire, LASD said.
During a press conference on Tuesday night, Ben Lowry, the El Monte police captain and acting department chief, described the officer as “heroes” and said they were “murdered by a coward.”
Fellow officers reportedly drove a procession along the 10 Freeway to the hospital where their two officers were pronounced dead.
