Two Los Angeles police officers say they were attacked Sunday in an "ambush" shooting that prompted a citywide search for suspects.
The shooting occurred at around 9:20 p.m. local time when two officers responded to an unrelated call in a South Los Angeles neighborhood.
The Los Angeles Times reported the officers saw a "muzzle flash," and determined they were under attack.
"A couple of officers were rolling down the street when they observed the muzzle of a rifle firing in their direction,"
LAPD Sgt. James Shray told Fox 11 Los Angeles. "They responded to the muzzle flash."
One man was taken into custody, but a search for another was called off Monday morning after eight hours.
"This was a completely
unprovoked attack," Capt. Lillian Carranza said, according to KTLA-5. However, the LA Times said police were investigating the possibility that the officers had stumbled into a shooting unrelated to them.
One of the officers returned fire, and no one was injured, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told reporters.
Nearby residents were instructed to stay in their homes during a search that included 60 officers, a SWAT team, and K-9 units.
Police didn't reveal whether a motive for the shooting had been determined.
Sunday night's shooting came more than a week after two New York City police officers were killed in Brooklyn while they sat in their patrol car. The violence in both LA and New York comes during a time of increased strife between citizens and police in the wake of the high-profile deaths of African-Americans Michael Brown and Eric Garner by officers.
"Obviously, with what happened in New York and what we know is the sentiment right now nationwide, in the mornings or in the evenings when you put on your uniform, you're very much aware that there are some
currents of anger toward police," Detective Meghan Aguilar told ABC 7. "We're aware that we could be a target for individuals that are angry at law enforcement right now."
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