A reward of $275,000 dollars is now being offered for information about the shooter who opened fire on two Los Angeles County deputies this past weekend.
As authorities search for the culprit, the victims are expected to survive in what officials are calling a “miracle,” CNN reports
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Video shows a female Los Angeles County deputy applying a tourniquet to her partner shortly after the two were ambushed and shot several times Saturday by a lone gunman.
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“There is no place in our society for the violence we saw, you know, blessed are the peacekeepers,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
The deputies were both in intensive care Tuesday after suffering wounds to their heads and arms.
“There’s definitely going to be a very painful path for them, but thankfully no vital organs (were struck), and so their prognosis is good,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
As the deputies are hospitalized, one local activist has voiced support for the act of violence.
“This right here enlightens my heart because the Sheriff’s Department has murdered too many of our brothers and sisters,” said Kevin Wharton Price, of LA’s Africa Town Coalition. “If this is a start of retribution, then I think this is a very good start.”
That’s a stance denounced by officials.
“There is no excuse for that. There is no excuse for the violence against the officers, period,” Rep. Karen Bass said.
“We have bad apples in every organization, just as we do in law enforcement. We hold them accountable. I’m not going to tolerate crossing the line, but at the same time I’m not going to throw out the overwhelming majority deputies who are doing the right thing for the right reason,” Villanueva said.
During a radio interview with KABC, Villanueva called on NBA basketball star LeBron James to add to the reward being offered for information regarding the suspect.
James has recently made public comments about race relations and police-involved shootings and the impact they have on Black communities.
So far, there’s been no comment from James or his team, the Los Angeles Lakers.