Police Officer Hit by Stolen Vehicle at Car Dealership

On Tuesday at 7:00 a.m., Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) Homicide detectives responded to a business in the 2800 block of Cherry Avenue to assist the Signal Hill Police Department (SHPD) with a burglary investigation, which resulted in an officer suffering life-threatening injuries to the upper and lower torso. Detectives arrived on scene and learned SHPD responded to a burglary investigation at a local auto dealership.

The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect entered the dealership property on foot and scaled a fence to enter a secured area where he gained access to a vehicle. The suspect then began to flee from arriving officers by recklessly driving the stolen vehicle and colliding with several objects and an unoccupied vehicle on the property. One of the collisions resulted in the first responding SHPD officer being critically injured by a gate the suspect rammed through. The suspect was seen fleeing westbound on 28th Street toward Cherry Avenue.

At approximately 8:25 a.m., LBPD officers were dispatched to the 6700 block of Gaviota regarding a single-vehicle collision with a report of the driver abandoning the vehicle and running from the scene. Responding officers discovered the involved vehicle matched the registration information from the stolen vehicle in the business burglary.

At approximately 8:55 a.m., LBPD detectives in the area of Artesia Boulevard and Orange Avenue located a subject matching the suspect description from the original crime scene. The subject was detained and is currently in police custody being interviewed.

The identity of the officer is not being released at this time. However, he is a 4 year veteran of the SHPD currently assigned to patrol and is in critical but stable condition at a local hospital.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is urged to contact LBPD Homicide Detectives Adrian Garcia or Sean Magee at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or by visiting www.LACrimeStoppers.org.