LAPD Officer Opens Fire Outside North Hollywood Nightclub

A police officer opened fire on a man outside the Hacienda Corona nightclub Saturday morning around 3 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The man was seen driving away from the three-way corner of Lankershim Boulevard, Victory Boulevard and Colfax Avenue in a White Nissan four-door that has collision damage to the rear center. It will have bullet holes in it and may have blood on the passenger side.

Captain Peter Whittingham of the North Hollywood Division told Patch that officers were patrolling the nightclub area around closing time because "there is particular concern about this location, the Hacienda Corona."

There have been a number of serious incidents at the nightclub in recent months, including an in February.

Whittingham said officers came upon a fight that was taking place in the parking lot and attempted to intervene.

"Upon the approach of the officer, one of the suspects got in his car and backed up, colliding with the front of the police vehicle," said Whittingham. "The officer attempted to make contact with the suspect, and during the course of that event, in an unknown sequence, the suspect ran over his own passenger that was in his vehicle, somehow the passenger had exited adjacent to the vehicle."

Whittingham said the victim is in a local hospital in serious condition as a result of trauma to the head. He also said the the officer involved in the shooting is OK.

"The officer tried to stop the suspect from leaving the scene. It's unknown at what point, but the suspect grabbed a hold of the officer and then accelerated from the location causing the officer to fall and then had to roll away and maneuver from the vehicle. And sometime during the course of that, an OIS (officer involved shooting) occurred," said Whittingham.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic in his mid 20's. He is approximately 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighs approx 200 lbs. He was wearing dark blue clothing and has a mohawk. He speaks perfect English and has no accent.

The City News Service contributed to this report.