LA deputy shot in the back at traffic light, manhunt underway

The search is on for the person who shot a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department motorcycle deputy in the back while he was stopped at a red light.

The shooting happened just before 3 p.m. Monday near Interstate 10 at the intersection of North Barranca Street and East Garvey Avenue, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna credits a bulletproof vest Deputy Samuel Aispuro, 43, was wearing at the time of the shooting for saving his life.

Aispuro was in uniform and was riding a department-issued motorcycle at the time of the shooting, Luna said during a press conference. He was taken by ambulance to a medical center for treatment. 

“Right now there is someone out there armed with a firearm who shot one of our deputies in the back,” Luna added. “And if he’s willing to do that, I’m sure he’s willing to shoot at anybody else, and we collectively, all of us, need to get him off the streets.”

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Investigators at the West Covina intersection where the LASD motorcycle deputy was shot in the back. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)

Shortly after the shooting, deputies surrounded a home in La Puente, but Luna said people detained from the location will soon be released because they may not have been involved.

Authorities are now searching for a white sedan with tinted windows, last seen heading west on Interstate 10 from Barranca Street.

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The marked LASD motorcycle Deputy Samuel Aispuro was on while sitting at a red light before being shot in the back by a suspect.  (FOX 11 Los Angeles)

Aispuro has been with LASD for nearly two decades, FOX 11 LA reports. He is married with two young children. He was last listed in stable condition.  

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and Luna asks anyone who was near the West Covina intersection at the time of the shooting to reach out to the sheriff’s department. Investigators have not yet determined how many shots were fired at the deputy.  

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department motorcycle the deputy was riding when he was shot April 22, 2024. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)

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“You are our eyes and ears out there,” Luna said, according to the Times. “That’s why we need information coming forward, so we can look at every angle. … Our intent is we’re going to catch them, but we need your help.”