KABC- TV News
LOS ANGELES -- Police reportedly ended an undercover operation Wednesday by returning fire against five people believed to have been posing as cops and stealing drugs -- killing one suspect, wounding two and arresting three.
They also found $2 million worth of cocaine in a warehouse where the shootout occurred, ABC7 has learned. According to broadcast reports, police had been tailing the suspects for five weeks and were expecting them to try to rip off drugs this afternoon from others at a warehouse in East Los Angeles.
“We had information that suspects were arming themselves with weapons and also dressing in law enforcement uniforms and going out and committing takeover robberies from other drug dealers,” Lt. Art Miller of the Los Angeles Police Department’s said.
At some point, however, one or more of the suspects began firing on police, the station reported, and SWAT team officers fired back, killing one person at the scene.
A second person, said to have been shot several times in the chest, reportedly was in critical condition when taken to a hospital, according to numerous broadcast reports.
It all started near an auto body shop in the 2600 block of E. Washington Boulevard at 3:40 p.m., police said.
Lt. Art Miller of the Los Angeles Police Department said a tactical operation was under way to take down the heavily armed suspects.
According to Channel 2 at least one of the suspects was wearing an FBI hat. The last man, who was briefly barricaded, came out finally but was taken to a hospital to be checked for high blood pressure, according to broadcast reports.