The Daily Breeze
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Two El Segundo police officers — both medal of valor winners — were recovering in the hospital Saturday after a shootout in a movie theater that left one suspect dead and a bystander injured, authorities said.
Lt. Raymond Garcia was shot in the jaw and Officer Scott O’Connor was hit in the shoulder in the Friday night gunbattle.
Both men were taken to County-Harbor Medical Center, where they were expected to make full recoveries, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 10:15 p.m. Friday at the Pacific Beach Cities Stadium 16 on Nash Street.
The two officers were on regular patrol at the theater when they were called to help an employee who was involved in a dispute with the suspect. The officers quickly intervened and while they were patting the man down, he allegedly pulled out a handgun and started shooting, authorities said.
Although they were both injured, the officers were able to return fire, striking the suspect, authorities said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner’s office identified him as Jonathan Taylor, 24. A city of residence was not available.
A bystander, a 20-year-old male, was shot in the leg. It was not known who shot him. He was also taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
After the shooting, the theater was immediately put on lock down, with patrons not being allowed to leave until they could be questioned by police.
“There were literally hundreds of potential witnesses,” said El Segundo Mayor Kelly McDowell, who accompanied several council members at the scene Friday night.
El Segundo police were joined by teams from nearby communities.
“I have never seen more police vehicles in one spot,” McDowell said. “We had SWAT teams from Gardena. Sheriff’s and airport police responded. Inglewood was there. Every department from the South Bay was there.”
Officers searched in and around the theater for possible companions of the gunman and took two suspects into custody at a nearby parking structure.
But authorities said Saturday that those men were apparently not involved in the shootings.
McDowell visited the officers in the hospital. He said, “O’Connor was up and alert.”
“He’s dying to get out of the hospital,” the mayor said. “Ray was sleeping when we visited, but he looked good. His color was good. Apparently there’s no imminent additional surgery for him.”
Both men were also visited by their wives and several officers.
Garcia was honored with the South Bay Police and Fire Medal of Valor in 2001 for grabbing hold of a suicidal woman planning to jump from a freeway overpass and not letting go until help arrived. He was off-duty at the time.
O’Connor received the award a year earlier for rescuing three neighbors, including an elderly woman and a mentally disabled man, from a burning home.
Outside the theater Saturday morning, there were no visible signs that anything had happened just 12 hours earlier.
Patrons wandered up to check show times and workers behind the counter prepared popcorn.
At 11:45 a.m., the ticket window opened and a small line of patrons formed to catch a matinee.
“As always, our primary concern is the safety and security of our employees, customers and our community,” said a spokesman for Pacific Theatres. “We have been fully cooperating with the investigation.”
Culver City resident Lindsey Jackson, 26, was just outside the theater when the shooting occurred. She was talking on the phone to a friend inside the theater when she heard four gunshots.
“It was really loud and echoing,” Jackson said. “Like five to seven seconds later, people started running around the corner.”
Her friend told her that the gunman was next to him in line. She said her friend heard the gunman arguing with an employee about a refund.
“He couldn’t find his ticket stub,” Jackson said. “She said, `We’re going to have to have security escort you out.”’
Jackson returned to her car and was able to drive away from the theater before more officers arrived.
“People were driving like madmen,” she said. “People were just getting away.”
The two officers were at the theater as part of an agreement the city reached with the developer of the property several years ago when someone fired a gun there, McDowell said.
“The landlord pays for additional protection,” McDowell said. “I don’t know of any other shootings.”
Culver City resident Kevin Turner was watching a movie with his girlfriend in one of the theaters when the lights came on.
“About five minutes later, someone tried to go outside, but a cop pointed a shotgun at him.”
After about 20 minutes of waiting, officers went row to row talking to customers before letting them leave.
“I called my mom,” said Turner, 21. “She was scared.”
McDowell said he didn’t expect the shooting to hurt business in the area.
“The overwhelming response that occurred shows our commitment to public safety,” he said. “This was an isolated incident. Movie theaters, wherever they’re located, tend to attract the occasional bad apple. The way the incident was handled was proof of how committed we are to keeping this place safe.”
Copyright 2008 The Daily Breeze