In a series of distressing incidents in East Los Angeles and Commerce, three individuals have been hospitalized following related shootings, and simultaneously, three sheriff’s deputies were also hospitalized after their patrol vehicles collided while responding to the crisis.
Authorities reported the violent episode commenced around 12:40 a.m. when the first calls came in regarding multiple victims shot in the 5700 block of East Whittier Boulevard in Commerce. Deputy Miesha McClendon of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau confirmed the details of the occurrence.
Compounding the emergency, three deputies, travelling in two separate vehicles, were involved in a collision during their urgent response to another shooting incident in the vicinity of Beverly and Atlantic boulevards in East Los Angeles. The impact was so severe that one vehicle was thrown into a utility pole, while the other rammed into a building structure, as stated by McClendon.
Responders from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, including spokesman Craig Little, indicated that from the Commerce location, two victims of the shooting were transported to medical facilities, while an additional victim was evacuated from the scene in East Los Angeles.
All three deputies involved, two from one vehicle and the third from the other, were rushed to different hospitals for medical attention. According to Deputy McClendon, there appears to be a connection between the two shooting incidents.
Source: CBS Los Angeles