Officer Ricky Galvez, a 29-year-old Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, was seated in his personal car when two attackers approached and opened fire, investigators say
An officer was fatally shot Thursday morning when two attackers walked up to his car and opened fire in the Downey Police Department parking lot, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators.
The officer was identified as 29-year-old Ricky Galvez, a Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and joined the police department in 2006 as a police aide. He was hired as an officer in the community southeast of downtown Los Angeles in March 2010.
"One of Downey's finest was shot and killed," said Chief Carl Charles. "He was a tremendous young man. His smile and professionalism were always on display.
"Words cannot express the love we have for Ricky."
Galvez was near the end of his shift and in his personal car in the parking lot Thursday morning when two individuals approached, said Lt. John Corina, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He was not in his police uniform, according to Charles.
"They ran up on his car," Corina said.
It was not immediately clear how many rounds were fired. Galvez died at the scene.
Another officer in a patrol vehicle heard the gunfire and saw a driver speeding away, leading to a pursuit that ended in the Montebello area and a search for the attackers, Corina said.
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