Los Angeles: A gunman trying to elude police officers was shot last night, April 26, 2007, after the man pointed a gun at an officer. Twenty-one-year-old Pedro Rentaria died at the scene. His gun was found at the scene.
Witnesses called police around 6:30 PM and reported three Hispanic gang members standing in front of 1418 West 225th Street. A caller described one of the men with a gun. He was wearing a blue hat and a blue shirt.
When Officer Daniel Robbins, 36, and his partner drove by, they noticed a group loitering. The group dispersed and the officers followed a man with the blue hat, who was later identified as Rentaria. He ran into an apartment complex and entered a ground-floor apartment. The officers tried to contain the apartment when one officer saw Rentaria climbing out a rear window.
Rentaria raised a gun at Officer Robbins when the suspect saw the officer had cut off his escape. Officer Robbins fired. Rentaria ducked back into the apartment and refused to come out.
Knowing they had an armed suspect barricaded inside the apartment, the officers waited for SWAT to arrive. After about 30 minutes, SWAT officers entered the apartment and found Rentaria dead from a gunshot wound.
A coroner's examination will determine whether the gunshot wound was from the officer's fire, or self inflicted. Investigators found Rentaria's loaded gun at the scene.
Officer Robbins is assigned to the Harbor Police Station's gang unit. He is an 11-year veteran of the LAPD.
Force Investigation Division will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
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