A Whittier police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shoot out with a suspect this morning.
The officers were shot at while they were responding to a traffic accident near Mar Vista Street and Colima Road just before 8:30 am.
The suspect was driving a stolen car when he crashed it. When the officers arrived, he opened fire with an automatic handgun, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
At least one of the officers returned fire and was able to hit the suspect.
Both officers and the suspect were taken to the hospital where one officer was declared dead. The second officer is in stable condition.
The suspect, described as a "gang member type" is also in stable condition.