Two El Monte police officers were killed in the line of duty Tuesday night.
The Los Angeles-area officers were responding to a possible stabbing at a Siesta Inn motel when they were ambushed and fatally shot, according to authorities. Police said the suspect immediately opened fire on the officers when they arrived at the scene.
The two officers were transported to LAC-USC Medical Center where they were pronounced dead, according to a statement shared on Facebook from the City of El Monte government.
“These two heroes paid the ultimate sacrifice. Today they were murdered by a coward. And we are grieving, and it hurts,” El Monte Police interim Chief Ben Lowry said in a press conference Tuesday night.
One of the officers was a 22-year veteran of the force and the other officer had been in the position for less than a year, according to a statement made by Lowry. Their identities are being withheld from the public until their families have been notified. (RELATED: LA Mayor Eric Garcetti Ignores City’s Crime Crisis, Blames Mass Exodus On Housing Costs)
“As our officers do on a daily basis, they were acting as the first line of defense for our community members when they were essentially ambushed while trying to keep a family safe,” El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona said in the press conference.
Pro-Choice Protesters In LA Surround Police Officer, As Two Cops Get Injured https://t.co/QeD7zFXbRX
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 4, 2022
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Captain Andrew Meyer said in a press conference Tuesday night that another shootout occurred between police and the suspect outside of the building, the New York Post reported. The suspect was shot and killed.