A late-night call about gunfire sent Los Angeles police racing to a stretch of railroad tracks in Boyle Heights early Sunday, where an armed man with a rifle vanished after an exchange with officers, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
It was around 12:35 a.m. when Hollenbeck Division officers were dispatched to the 300 block of North Myers Street. The caller reported a man firing an assault-style rifle at unknown targets, LAPD officials said.
When officers spotted a man carrying a rifle, they opened fire, though police have not said whether the suspect shot at them. Within moments, the man disappeared, leaving only shell casings and rifle ammunition scattered near the tracks.
SWAT teams, K-9 units and additional officers swarmed the area, searching for hours but finding no trace of the suspect. One officer suffered scrapes to his hand and knee after a fall, but no other injuries were reported among officers or residents.
Investigators with the department’s Force Investigation Division are now piecing together the events of the night, reviewing video footage, collecting forensic evidence and interviewing witnesses. Police cautioned that their understanding of what happened may shift as more information emerges.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting is urged to contact LAPD Hollenbeck Division detectives or submit an anonymous tip through L.A. Crime Stoppers.
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