July 27--A South Gate police officer shot a gunman suspected of breaking into a home late Sunday and fighting with the residents, authorities said.
The gunman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which is investigating the police shooting.
The shooting occurred after police responded to a report of a home break-in.
The residents saw the gunman and two other men about 11:30 p.m. inside the backyard of their home in the 5200 block of Katella Road in South Gate, sheriff's officials said. Four residents and three children were at home during the break in.
When the residents confronted them, the men pulled out handguns, prompting a drag-out fight, sheriff's officials said.
At one point during the fight, a resident and one of the men fell into the backyard swimming pool. The brawl continued for some time. The residents were not injured.
Following the fight, the three men jumped over a backyard wall.
A South Gate police officer confronted the gunman in the front yard, where the police shooting occurred, sheriff's officials said.
The gunman was struck in the torso and continued running away, authorities said. He ran and jumped into neighboring yards.
Police went door-to-door in search of the gunman, who they eventually found hiding under a parked car, sheriff's officials said. Several handguns were recovered at the scene.
The two other men got away, but police are continuing to search for them.
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