A Los Angeles police officer died on Saturday following a shooting that occurred while he was off-duty, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officer Juan Diaz was one of two victims who suffered gunshot wounds and were found by an officer shortly before 1 a.m. local time Saturday, the departmentsaid in a statement posted to Twitter.
The LAPD later confirmed Diaz had died as a result of the shooting, calling him “a dedicated public servant and Angeleno that put service to others above all else.”
The circumstances of the shooting remain unclear, but authorities are investigating. According to CNN affiliate KABC, the second victim was wounded but is expected to survive. No arrests have been made, KABC said.
Diaz was last assigned to the LAPD’s Professional Standards Bureau, according to another department statement, which called him a hero.
In a statement, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called Diaz’s death a “senseless murder” and promised the his family and friends that authorities will “never tire until we find and prosecute the vicious criminals responsible for this horrific tragedy.”
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, a police union, did not identify Diaz but said in a statement, “We mourn the loss of our brother and we will always remember his service and sacrifice to the Los Angeles Police Department and the residents of our city.”
The union went on to “urge the Chief of Police to utilize every available Department resource to ensure the coward and his accomplices who are responsible for this heinous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”
