Off-duty LAPD officer shoots, kills unarmed man after altercation
An off-duty Los Angeles police officer shot and killed a man in San Bernardino County after what police there described as an altercation that left one dead and the cop hospitalized.
Police responded to a shooting near Euclid Avenue and 6th Street on Thursday evening in Ontario and discovered that an off-duty officer with the Los Angeles Police Department had shot an unarmed man during an altercation, according to an Ontario Police Department spokesman.
The man who was shot died of his wounds at the scene.
Ontario Officer Bill Lee said it is "a slow-moving investigation as the off-duty officer is still in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries."
An LAPD internal report and sources initially said the shooting involved a traffic collision, but Lee said that detail is unconfirmed.
"When officers were there last night there was talk of a collision but we cannot confirm a collision at this point," Lee said.
Lee said when the altercation occurred "no one was in a vehicle." Lee said because the officer remains hospitalized investigators haven't been able to get a full statement from him about the shooting. Lee said the off-duty officer has not been arrested.
In a post on the social media site X, Ontario police said the shooting led to the closure of an area around Euclid Avenue and the 10 Freeway and encouraged motorists to find alternative routes. The post doesn't provide any identifying details about the shooter or the deceased.
In a brief statement, an LAPD spokesperson said the department was "aware of the shooting and is fully cooperating with the investigation," but declined to comment further.
Ontario PD is investigating a shooting at Euclid Ave/ Sixth St. The scene is safe, but please stay out of the area. Southbound Euclid Ave from the 10frwy is closed until further notice. Please use alternate routes.
— Ontario Police Dept. (@OntarioPD) May 31, 2024
Ontario police responded to the scene about 8:30 pm and found the man with a gunshot wound, according to Cpl. Eliseo Guerrero.
According to law enforcement sources not authorized to discuss the shooting, the officer is Victor Corral and is assigned to LAPD Central Division. Corral, who joined the department in May 1995, had been off work because of an injury for the last year or so, the sources said.
Corral did not immediately respond to a request for comment that was sent to his department email. It's unclear whether he has hired an attorney.
One law enforcement source, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said the officer had not regularly qualified on the shooting range as required with his department weapon because he was off work for an extended period. Under department policy, in such circumstances, an officer's privileges to carry a concealed weapon are meant to be withdrawn, but that had not happened in this case, according to the source.
The incident was at least the 13th off-duty shooting by an LAPD officer since 2017, according to a Times database.
In July 2010, while on duty, Corral in South Los Angeles responded to a disturbance call with his partner and shot and wounded a man who police said opened the front door and pointed a gun at the officers.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
