The 31-year-old man who reportedly opened fire on two Los Angeles Police Department officers with a “fully automatic AR-style rifle” earlier this month is now facing life in prison, authorities announced Tuesday.
The violence erupted on July 3 around 9 p.m. when officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a white Chevrolet sedan at the corner of Broadway and Rosecrans Avenue in the South L.A. neighborhood of Willowbrook.
According to police, the suspect, identified as Malcolm Darnell Guss Jr., quickly accelerated before making a sudden stop on Broadway.
“Before officers could exit the police vehicle, the suspect, armed with a fully automatic weapon, fired at officers without warning,” LAPD said.
One of the officers, Joshua Rodney, returned fire but was grazed twice by incoming gunfire, resulting in wounds to his head. Rodney and the other officer, Stefan Carutasu, both sustained lacerations from glass fragments caused by bullets hitting the patrol vehicle’s windshield, authorities added.
In the immediate aftermath of shootout, the 31-year-old fled the scene, and while officers attempted to follow the suspect’s vehicle for about 200 yards, they eventually lost sight of it near 135th Street and Broadway.
Video released by LAPD later showed the exchange, where Guss allegedly fired off rapid shots at officers before speeding off. Officers returned fire in the video.
“What’d he hit us with, dude,” one officer was heard saying in the video.
Investigators quickly combed the scene for clues – finding numerous rifle casings and other evidence – and eventually identified the suspect as Guss.
“During the investigation, police located and seized the Chevrolet sedan [and] a firearm believed to have been involved in the crime,” LAPD said.
Guss was taken into custody just over a week later, on July 12.
“The heinous attack on two law enforcement officers in what should have been a routine traffic stop is absolutely horrific,” L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón said in a news release. “This unprovoked attack is a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers confront.”
The 31-year-old faces charges that include:
- One count of attempted murder of a peace officer
- Two counts of assault with a machine gun upon a peace officer
- One count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle
- One count of possession of a machine gun
- Two counts of possession of firearm by a felon
“If convicted as charged, Guss faces a maximum sentence of life in prison,” the DA’s release noted.
Guss is currently being held on $2 million bail. He is due to appear in court again on July 29.
KTLA’s Austin Turner contributed to this report.
