Two SWAT officers shot in Valley standoff

[PapaBear]

From the Associated Press
2:48 AM PST, February 7, 2008


Police say a standoff is ongoing with a man who has barricaded himself in a home in the San Fernando Valley.

Los Angeles police said the incident began at about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Although police would not give further details early today, reporters at the scene said a man inside the house in the Winnetka area has shot two SWAT team officers, and that the man earlier fatally shot two or three people believed to be family members.

[PapaBear]

One of the officers has died! The situation is still on-going as of 0545 hours, 7 Feb 2008. Will post more as information becomes available.

In the interim, prayers for the officers involved............be safe!

[Jenna]

May the officer rest in peace. Best wishes for the other officer's recovery, and for the safety of the other officers involved.

[Terminator]

The other injured officer is currently in surgery and is expected to live.

It appears by watching the news that this situation is about to come to a head soon. LAPD SWAT is making moves towards the suspect. Shot are still being fired.

[Illiy]

Randy Simmons is the first LAPD SWAT Officer to be killed in the line of duty... he was 51 years old and had served LAPD for 27 years. His partner that is in surgery has been on the department for 26 years, his wife is a division Capitan for LAPD.



Shoot the bastard! He is still wandering around the house with a shot gun... torch the place!

[PapaBear]

The dead officer has been identified as Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran with more than twenty years on the SWAT team.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/19182-po...randy)-simmons

At a 6:30 a.m. news conference, McDonnell identified the officer who was killed as 51-year-old Randy Simmons, who had been with the department for 27 years and with the LAPD SWAT team for more than 20 years. He is survived by his wife and two children -- a son and a daughter -- his parents and three sisters.

ID announcement Video:
http://video.knbc.com/player/?id=214995

Officer Randy systems:

Officer Randy Simmons, another Crystal Angel Award recipient, is a24-year veteran of the Department.He has served for the past 18 years inSpecial Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT. Because of his outstandingleadership ability, he has beenAssistant Squad Leader for the last 10 years, and is a mentor and peerleader to other members of the team.Officer Simmons is one of the most tenured of the Department’s Crisis Negotiation Team and has defused many volatile situations with his excellent communication skills,patience, and compassion.He earned the Crystal Angel Award for a community outreach project involving the youngest patients at Orthopaedic Hospital Los Angeles. Serving as a liaison with the hospital, Officer Simmons oversees various charitable functions to support children who have suffered serious injuries, or are fighting devastating illness. Officer Simmons coordinates SWAT’s annual holiday toy drive, including the deliveryof toys to the hospital by SWAT officers. This toy drive is especially important to the young patients whose families face financial challenges due to the child’s medical condition. Officer Simmons is also a staff minister for a religious organization.

The wounded officer is James Veenstra. He is in surgery and is expected to survive. He is a 26 year veteran of the LAPD and has more than 20 years on SWAT. Officer Veenstra's wife is a Captain on LAPD commanding the Central Division.

Michelle Veenstra
Captain I
Central Area

Here is an article on Veenstra's heroics which earned him the "Medal of Valor" in 1999:

http://www.lapdonline.org/inside_the...27319#veenstra

[Illiy]

The house is on fire....

Live feed of the incident...

http://media.myfoxla.com/live/2/

[Illiy]

A neighbor was interviewed and she says the suspect is/was a young hispanic gangster type... lots of activity on his porch on a reg. basis.

[k-9max]

Reporter on the live feed, is claiming tear gas fired into the home to make the suspect surrender is the blame for the fire.

Good, deadly force was imminent, and is the best way to end this tragic event.
Unfortunally, we did lose a brother , Rest Easy, We will pick up, were you left off.

[Just KC]

I just finished watching the press release. So very sad. Originally came in as 911 call. This guy killed 3 of his members...one female family member escaped. The guy that shot the officers is in custody...the guy who barricaded himself died.

They are speculating that the flash bang they through in his bedroom is what caused the fire. Due to him hiding between mattresses.

RIP

First SWAT member to die in the history of SWAT.

[PCSD722]

RIP.......

Prayers and thoughts to families and department

[Illiy]

Officer James Veenstra is out of surgery and has a good prognosis for recovery. The bullet entered his mouth and shattered his jaw (left side) prior to surgery he was talking to his wife. He has a long road to recovery ahead of him...

**prayers**

[Just KC]

Ended up being a 19yr old.....he had shot his father and two brothers...mom was hiding. He called 911 and told them what he did and said *come get me*. I am sure a 5150 too. So very very sad.

[Illiy]

Ended up being a 19yr old.....he had shot his father and two brothers...mom was hiding. He called 911 and told them what he did and said *come get me*. I am sure a 5150 too. So very very sad.

It was the sister who was hiding... The family is trying to say the little shit got depressed when his mom died 9 years ago...

The more that comes out in this story the more you can realize what a huge loss this was. Officer Simmons was a true pillar of the community. There are so many people affected by his passing, he was active in his church always going to extra mile to help the children of lower income communities. He would go out every Saturday in a "Prayer Van" to preach to thousands of young children.

Slain Officer Fund: More info here
Last Edited: Thursday, 07 Feb 2008, 8:53 PM PST Created: Thursday, 07 Feb 2008, 8:51 PM PST SWAT Officer Killed


Trust funds were established Thursday for the family of an LAPD SWAT officer who was shot and killed during a gun battle in a Winnetka home, and for another officer who was seriously injured in the same shootout.

The trust funds were established at the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union, and donations can be made in two ways, the LAPD reported. Donations can be made by visiting the Web site www.lapfcu.org and clicking on the red square titled "LAPFCU Community Corner." Donations can also be sent to:

LAPFCU, Blue Ribbon Trust Fund/Officer Randal Simmons
Account 2030077-product code S4.12
6150 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91410;

LAPFCU, Blue Ribbon Trust Fund/Officer James Veenstra
Account 2030077-product code S4.13
6150 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91410.
For information about the trust funds, call (877) 695-2732.

Also, contributions in honor of the officers can be made to the following organizations:

Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation, via the Web site www.lapmf.org. Call (213) 847-4239 for information.

Los Angeles Police Foundation, via the Web site www.lapolicefoundation.org. Call (213) 489-4636 for information.