May 22--A West Covina police officer was shot in the chest after he approached an armed man on a bicycle, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
The officer is expected to survive and was taken to a hospital, the Sheriff's Department said in a statement. The gunman is at large.
The shooting occurred about 11:20 p.m. on North Yaleton Avenue, near Badillo Street, along the northern border of West Covina.
After the officer approached the man, a gunbattle ensued, authorities said. Sheriff's detectives did not know if the gunman was struck by gunfire.
The suspect was identified as Jose Luis Chavez, 47, who is described as a 6 feet, 1 inch, and 225 pounds, officials said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made by calling (800) 222-8477 or texting "TIPLA" to CRIMES (274637), or going to the website lacrimestoppers.org.
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UPDATES:
4:57p.m.: This article was updated to include the name of the suspect.
This article was originally published at 7:28 a.m.
