Cop shot in chest during gun battle saved by bulletproof vest

By Dean Murray

A police officer is lucky to be alive after he was shot in the chest during a gun battle in Los Angeles.

A suspect started firing on officers after a 2.5-mile chase that ended in the Boyle Heights neighborhood on June 9.

One officers was struck in the chest, while the gunman was hit by return fire. He is reportedly in a critical condition.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) chief Jim McDonnell said the officer's life was saved by his bulletproof vest.

Scene pictures show a gunshot wound in the chest area of the vest - with a bullet entry point also visible in a police car door.

Chief McDonell said: "The suspect continued to fire at officers. Multiple officers fired at him. The suspect was shot.

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"One officer was struck in the chest at least once; thankfully, he had a ballistic vest on that saved his life.

"Our officer, thankfully, has been evaluated at the hospital, but it looks at this point like he's going to be OK.

"For the suspect to get out of the vehicle and engage in the behaviour that he did, he literally could have taken anybody out."

LAPD headquarters shared images from the scene.

They posted: "Sharing these images from today’s Officer-Involved Shooting serve as a reminder of the very real dangers our officers face every single day.

"We are extremely fortunate that our officer is in stable condition tonight after being struck in the chest — with the ballistic vest stopping what could have been a far more serious, even deadly, outcome."

Detectives are reported to be reviewing body-worn camera footage and continue to investigate the incident.