A routine traffic turned into anything but that for two, brave Los Angeles police officers.
According to a report from local affiliate ABC7, bodycam footage released over the weekend by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) appears to show a suspect allegedly open fire on two officers with a machine gun during a routine traffic stop July 3.
According to the ABC7 report, police accused Malcolm Darnell Guss Jr. of firing on officers Stefan Carutasu and Joshua Rodney with an AR-style automatic rifle after the officers attempted to stop his car.
The bodycam footage shows the officers pulling up behind Guss. The suspect then appears to come to a stop and then allegedly fires the automatic weapon at the police before they can exit their patrol car.
One officer appears to fire back at Guss before the suspect took off. The suspect was able to lose the pursuing the officers, ABC7 reported.
The LAPD released the full footage here:
VIDEO: The Los Angeles Police Department has released new video footage and confirmed the arrest of a seven-time convicted felon who allegedly attempted to kill two police officers during a traffic stop.
The footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows officers… pic.twitter.com/vVBKDRruxM
— Real News No Bullshit (@NewsNotBs) July 21, 2024
According to ABC7, the LAPD said that one officer sustained two graze wounds to the head while both were cut from shattered glass. The report also said Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) officials transported both cops to a local hospital where they were treated and released the next morning.
“This unprovoked attack is a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers confront,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a press release obtained by the Los Angeles Times. “This act of violence is not only an assault on the officers, but also on the values of safety and justice of our community.”
The Los Angeles Times also reported that police caught up to Guss on July 12 and arrested him for attempted murder and other charges related to firing an automatic weapon.
Guss, who pleaded not guilty, has numerous prior convictions, including three charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the Los Angeles Times reported. Records show that in March 2021 Guss received two separate prison sentences of two years each for cases related to gun and drug possession.