Anaheim Officers Kill 1, Wound 1 in Pickup

Anaheim police killed a man and wounded another Monday in a shooting that occurred moments after the two officers involved called a supervisor to report that they needed to “take care of a problem,” a police spokesman said.

Authorities declined to identify the officers or the victims, who were shot inside a pickup truck making a turn at Onondaga and La Palma avenues. Detectives and officials from the Orange County district attorney’s office combed the scene for evidence.

Shortly after 2 p.m., the officers called a watch commander to say they were going “out of service to take care of a problem,” said Sgt. Rick Martinez, the police spokesman. “Out of service” is a frequent designation meaning the officers will be temporarily unavailable to respond to a call.

The officers called back about 45 seconds later to say they were involved in a shooting, Martinez said. He said he didn’t know what the problem was or whether the victims had been armed.

The two officers were part of “a problem-solving team” that specializes in community policing, Martinez said.

Authorities said the officers fired at least two shots as the pickup turned right from Onondaga to La Palma.

The 28-year-old driver was taken to Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The passenger, 25, was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange with a wound in the lower torso that was not considered life-threatening, authorities said. They said a wheelchair in the truck belonged to the passenger.

After the shots, the truck traveled about 200 yards, crashed through a metal gate and into a house.

Times staff writer H.G. Reza contributed to this report.