Gunfire Breaks out at Party, Officer Targeted

Los Angeles:  A party being held at a warehouse in the 1900 block of South Los Angeles Street turned violent early Sunday morning.  Fights and shootings occurred as officers arrived to break up the party, resulting in an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) and the Attempt Murder of a Los Angeles Police Officer.

On February 21, 2010, just after midnight, Newton Area Officers responded to a radio call of a party that had gotten out of control.  The party was being held in a warehouse and partygoers were being charged to enter.  As officer’s arrived at the location they recognized there were a large number of people in attendance, many of whom were gang members.  Additional units were requested to assist in breaking up the party.

Among those responding were Police Officer III Guillermo Calleros, 12 years, 9 months with the Department, Police Officer II Brendy Ponce, 7 years, 2 months with the Department, and Police Officer II Jesus Parra, 4 years, 8 months with the Department.  Officers Parra and Calleros were inside the warehouse dispersing the crowd when they heard shots being fired to the rear of the building.  

They immediately went through the rear doors where they saw a suspect, later identified as Donald Trotter, 23 years of age, firing a semi-automatic handgun southbound in the alley, prompting both officers to become involved in an OIS.  Trotter ran to a parking lot located just north of the warehouse that was packed with cars.  Trotter then fired directly at officer Ponce who was situated on the east side of the parking lot.  Officers Ponce and Calleros both returned fire.

Trotter was taken into custody and booked for Attempt Murder of a Police Officer.  A handgun was recovered from under a car that was associated with Trotter, as well as one under the passenger seat of the same car.

As the shooting between Ponce, Calleros and Trotter was occurring, a simultaneous shooting was occurring at the south side of the alley near 21st Street.  People and vehicles were scrambling to get away from the gunfire.  It was quickly determined that the shooter was a 17-year-old male Black whose name is being withheld because he is a juvenile.  The juvenile subject had been firing at several of the party attendees.  He was arrested for Assault with a Deadly Weapon.  A handgun was recovered from a female partygoer, but is not yet confirmed to be the one used in the shooting.

There were no reported injuries from the gunfire.  Force Investigation Division personnel are handling the investigation.