A Department In Mourning: LAPD Suffers 5th Loss In Less Than 3 Months
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Police Department is in mourning.
The department on Friday lost their fifth member in a little more than two months.
Officer Roberto Sanchez was killed last Saturday when his squad car was intentionally rammed by an SUV in Harbor City. The 32-year-old was newly married.
Officer George Nagata, a 35-year-veteran of the force died last Friday after falling ill on duty. It's believed he had a heart attack.
On April 5, motorcycle officer Chris Cortijo was hit by an SUV while at a stop light in Sun Valley. The 51-year-old officer died four days later. The person accused of hitting him was allegedly high on drugs at the time of the crash.
On March 7th, Officer Nicholas Lee was killed when an out-of-control truck hit his patrol car -- on the very same Beverly Hills street where another officer was killed Friday.
"It's all a tremendous amount of grief," reported KCAL9's Serene Branson.
The name of the officer killed Friday was not released.
Branson reported, "But we do know he was a popular officer and detective at the Southwest division of the LAPD."
One officer told her the department was "torn up ... it just feels like one loss after another."
Chief Charlie Beck said, "Everyone has a different capacity of grief. We just have to deal with this the best we can."
At LAPD headquarters downtown, flags continue to fly at half staff and officers have been wearing black bands on their badges for nearly two months straight.
Support for the officers have been coming in from a variety of quarters, Branson reported.
The LAFD's Chief James G. Featherstone tweeted, "The entire @LAFD sends it's condolences to our LAPD brothers and sisters in the wake of another senseless tragedy. We stand with you."
Branson said many officers placed flowers at the desk Friday for their fallen colleague.
The officer's name has not been released to the public pending official confirmation from the LA County Coroner's office.
