An animated conversation rapidly escalated into a violent confrontation inside an LA police station.
A security video from inside LAPD’s Harbor Division where a veteran officer was brutally attacked this weekend shows the officer get knocked to the ground and repeatedly pistol-whipped with his own firearm before the attacker points the weapon at the officer’s chest at close range.
The video, obtained by The Times, reveals for the first time the full and potentially deadly nature of the Saturday night attack on the 37-year department veteran inside the Harbor Community station in San Pedro.
Police sources said investigators believe the man repeatedly pulled the trigger, creating a clicking sound each time, but that a safety mechanism on the gun prevented it from firing — saving the officer’s life.
Jose Cerpa Guzman, the alleged assailant, is being held on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer on $2.23 million bail. The officer, who has not been identified, was taken to a local hospital but escaped with “bumps and bruises,” according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
Read more on KTLA