Man Threatens Officers with Handgun

Los Angeles:  A Los Angeles man was arrested after threatening officers with what was later determined to be an imitation handgun.

On Saturday, November 10, 2007, at around 10:40 p.m., Officers from the Crime Reduction Enforcement of Warrants (CREW) Task Force, were working a plain clothes detail in the area of Budlong Avenue and 95th Street. 

Police Officer Sarah Slavid and her partner saw Donald Thompson riding a bicycle after dark, without lights, in violation of the California Vehicle Code.  As the officers were preparing to stop Thompson to investigate the vehicle code violation, Officer Slavid saw that Thompson was armed with a handgun and an officer involved shooting (OIS) occurred. 

Thompson ran from the officers, but they quickly set up a perimeter with the assistance of other responding units.  Once the perimeter was established, and just prior to beginning a search with a K9 unit, Thompson was seen by officers attempting to walk out of the perimeter near 93rd Street and Vermont Avenue.  He was immediately taken into custody without incident. 

During the perimeter search a weapon was located and determined to be the one Thompson had been seen carrying by Officer Slavid and her partner.  The weapon was later identified as a 9mm-replica air pistol. Thompson was arrested for 417.4 PC-Drawing/Exhibiting an Imitation Firearm. 

None of the Officers, or Thompson, was injured in the OIS. 

Force Investigation Division personnel responded to the incident and are conducting an investigation into the OIS.