An off-duty Los Angeles police officer was shot and killed during a robbery as he and his girlfriend were shopping for a home in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County late Monday night.
The shooting was reported about 9:15 p.m. after a black pickup truck approached the off-duty officer and several suspects got out, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Our officer exchanged gunfire with at least one of these suspects. We do have our officer’s gun and we have an additional weapon that we believe was responsible for this assault,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said during a news conference.
The suspects, described only as three men, then returned to their vehicle and fled in an unknown direction, KTLA reports.
Deputies responded to the location and transported the officer in their patrol car to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the news release stated.
The officer was identified as Fernando Arroyos, 27. He is survived by his mother and stepfather.