Veteran LA cop who was shot dead by heavily-tattooed gangster who had been released early from jail and went on murderous rampage

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[h=1]Pictured: Veteran LA cop who was shot dead by heavily-tattooed gangster who had been released early from jail and went on murderous rampage[/h]

• A gang member recently released on parole is believed to have killed his cousin at 5.30am on Monday before stealing his car and crashing it three hours later
• Whittier police officers responded to the crash and patted the gangster down
• He pulled out a gun and started shooting; the officers returned fire
• Officer Keith Boyer died in the hospital, while officer Patrick Hazel was wounded
• Boyer is the first Whittier police officer to die in the line of duty since 1979
• The suspect, who has history of serious crimes, is in stable condition

By JESSICA CHIA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 04:01, 21 February 2017 | UPDATED: 07:38, 21 February 2017

 

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A gang member killed a veteran police officer and wounded another cop when they arrived at the scene in Whittier, California, after he rear-ended another vehicle.
Officer Keith Boyer died after the suspect involved in the crash on Monday morning pulled out a semiautomatic pistol and opened fire, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
A shootout ensued, and Officer Patrick Hazel was wounded, along with the suspect, identified as a 26-year-old gang member who was driving a stolen car, said Lt. John Corina.
The suspect had killed his cousin earlier Monday, before stealing his car and crashing it three hours later, Corina said.

 

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Officer Keith Boyer, a 27-year veteran on the Whittier police force, was killed on Monday after he was shot dead by a gang member who was recently released on parole

 

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Police were unaware that the suspect was driving a stolen car, which he had slammed into other vehicle near Colima Road and Mar Vista Street

 

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The officers approached the suspect and started patting him down when he pulled out a gun from his waistband and started shooting

 

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The police officers were responding to what they thought was a routine traffic call at 8.30am on Monday, according to the sheriff's department.
Police were unaware that the suspect was driving a stolen car, which he had slammed into other vehicle near Colima Road and Mar Vista Street in the eastern Los Angeles County suburb.
The officers approached the suspect and started patting him down when he pulled out a gun from his waistband and started shooting, Corina said.
The officers, who were wearing bulletproof vests, returned fire and injured the suspect.
Boyer, a 27-year veteran of the Whittier police force, died in the hospital, while Hazel is reportedly in stable condition.
'Unbeknownst to the Whittier police officers, when they went to pull the car over, they had a murder suspect ... in a stolen car,' Corina said.
'It's extremely tragic,' he said. 'You just never know when officers respond to a call what they are going to run into.'
Sheriff Jim McDonnel said: 'They walked up on the vehicle believing the motorist was in need of medical help and then they ended up in a gunfight for their lives.'

 

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Boyer, a 27-year veteran of the Whittier police force, died in the hospital, while Hazel is reportedly in stable condition

 

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After the shooting, a long line of police cars escorted the slain officer's body from a hospital in Irvine to the coroner's office

 

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Mourners placed candles and flowers outside police headquarters, and fellow police officers saluted his casket

 

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Pictured, Boyer's family members. He was a 27-year veteran on the police force who had recently spoken about retirement

 

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The suspect, whose name has not been released, was treated in the intensive care unit and is now in stable condition, police said.
The heavily tattooed gang member has a history of serious crimes and police believe he was released on parole as recently as a week ago.
Witnesses said the suspect killed his cousin at 5.30am on the 1400 block of Volney Drive, less than 15 miles away from the scene of the car crash, according to Corina.
He stole his cousin's car, and crashed into another vehicle about three hours later.

 

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'We're still trying to determine why he shot. Obviously, he was in a stolen car. He is a gang member. We're trying to determine if anything else sparked that,' Corina said.
After the shooting, a long line of police cars escorted the slain officer's body from a hospital in Irvine to the coroner's office.
Mourners placed candles and flowers outside police headquarters, and fellow police officers saluted his casket, honoring the first officer from Whittier killed in the line of duty since 1979.

 

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Boyer is the first officer from Whittier killed in the line of duty since 1979

 

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Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper, who was friends with Boyer for more more than 25 years, told the
'All of us have been grieving,' the chief said. 'And I didn't think I had any tears left.'
Boyer, who joined the force as a dispatcher in 1989 and became a full-time officer in 1990, had recently talked to the chief about retiring.
A divorced father who played the drums, he was 'the best of the best' who was sought for advice by his colleagues and superiors, the chief said.

Read more:

• 2 Police Officers Shot, 1 Fatally, After Responding to Car Crash in Whittier; Suspect Injured: LASD | KTLA