Sheriff Alex Villanueva identified the deputies as a 31-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man who were sworn in 14 months ago. At least one of them was shot in the face and the other in the head, law enforcement sources
told the L.A. Times
. Their names have not been released.
Officers from multiple agencies were searching the area for the gunman, LASD Capt. Kent Wegener said.
He said the department has a “very, very generic suspect description” from one of the deputies shot. The officer described the perpetrator as a “dark-skinned male,” Wegener said.
The two deputies underwent surgery at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, where a small group of protesters gathered hours after the shooting.
Videos from the scene show a tense confrontation between the protesters and deputies outside the hospital. According to the Sheriff’s Department, the protesters were blocking the entrance and exit of the hospital emergency room. At least one reportedly yelled, “We hope they die.”