Officer hurt, suspect killed in exchange of gunfire in South L.A.

A Los Angeles police officer was shot and wounded Wednesday afternoon in South Los Angeles during an exchange of gunfire with a suspected killer who was fatally wounded, department officials said.

The officer, who was not immediately identified, was shot in the foot about 4 p.m. and is expected to recover from his wound, said Officer Karen Rayner of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The suspect, who was wanted in connection with a homicide in the LAPD's Olympic Division, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident began about 9:40 a.m. when LAPD officers went to serve an arrest warrant, Rayner said. The suspect led them on a foot pursuit from a location at 104th Street and Avalon Boulevard.

LAPD officers set up a perimeter while bringing in Metro and SWAT officers in an attempt to contain him. They were deploying when he was located and tried to flee a second time before being cornered.

"During the search, Metro officers encountered him and were preparing to take him into custody when the officer-involved shooting occurred," Rayner said.  

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Graphic: Map shows the location of Wednesday's shooting, in purple, as well as 223 other homicides, in red, since January 2007.

Credit: Los Angeles Times