Suspect Accused Of Attempted Murder On LAPD Officer

VENICE, CA — Police have arrested and booked a 28-year-old man accused of attempting murder on a Los Angeles police officer Sunday in Venice, Los Angeles Police Department officials announced late Friday.

Five counts of attempted murder were filed Friday against suspect Gabriel Estrada of Palmdale, who was wanted in connection with a shooting in Venice that left a Los Angeles Police Department officer wounded, police said in a news release.

Los Angeles Police were sharing more information about what happened in Venice, Santa Monica and throughout Los Angeles during Sunday's looting and unrest, announcing a multi-agency investigative task force called the "SAFE LA Task Force" that includes personnel from the LAPD, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the FBI and Santa Monica Police Department.

On Sunday, Pacific Division officers responded to a call in the 400 block of Lincoln Boulevard, between Flower and Sunset avenues, about 4 p.m., when they heard gunshots directly behind them, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

One officer was wounded in her left foot by a ricochet and two other officers were shot at while directing traffic in the area of Lincoln Boulevard and Machado Drive, just north of the first shooting.

Two bullets struck the passenger-side door of their police vehicle, police said.

Detectives from the Robbery Homicide Division started investigating and located a video of the suspects’ vehicle. They distributed a crime alert bulletin with a picture of the suspected vehicle.

Police officers assigned to the SAFE LA investigation Wednesday saw the suspect's vehicle, which police described only as a Jeep matching the description of the suspect's vehicle, driving among people protesting.

The vehicle was stopped by the Street Racing Task Force and the occupants of the vehicle were detained, police said. Detectives interviewed the people in the car.

After interviewing the people in the Jeep, detectives arrested Gabriel Estrada on suspicion of attempted murder, police said.

The District Attorney's Office filed five charges of attempted murder against Estrada. The fifth count was filed for a person standing with officers at the time of the shooting, police said.

This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with additional information is asked to call LAPD Robbery Homicide Division at 213-486-6910.

Calls can be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247) during non-business hours, or on weekends.

Anyone who wants to remain anonymous can call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Tipsters can also visit www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip, or download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as the local program.

This is a developing story. Check back with Patch for more information.

- City News Service and Patch Staffer Nicole Charky contributed to this story.

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