Inglewood shooting: 'Like you were in a war zone,' neighbor says

Inglewood shooting: ‘Like you were in a war zone,’ neighbor says

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Inglewood police officer Joey Zeller kisses the head of a toddler he led to safety with a group of others from the neighborhood where two fellow officers were injured. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Police Officer Joey Zeller evacuates children from a day school after two police officers were injured. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Police snipers take up positions on the roof of a residence overlooking 108th Street. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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A police officer takes a position along 108th Street in Inglewood where a gunman shot officers before barricading himself inside a house. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Police officers deploy along 108th Street in Inglewood. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Police officers deploy along 108th Street in Inglewood. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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INGLEWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 27, 2013: Two Inglewood police officers were shot today in what began as a domestic dispute that led to a hostage situation in an Inglewood home on NOVEMBER 27, 2013. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s SWAT officers watch the home from behind their armored vehicle. ( Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times ) (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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INGLEWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 27, 2013: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s SWAT officers approach the home on their armored vehicle on 5th Avenue where two Inglewood police officers were shot today in what began as a domestic dispute that led to a hostage situation in an Inglewood home on NOVEMBER 27, 2013. ( Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times ) (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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SWAT officers move into positions among residences overlooking 108th Street. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Police officers deploy along 108th Street. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

By Kate Linthicum

Nov. 27, 2013 3:57 PM PT

An elderly woman who lives across the street from the Inglewood home where a man was barricaded Wednesday with at least one hostage said a bullet flew through her front door during a long firefight that left two officers injured.

Esther Frazier said she was baking a cake for Thanksgiving when she heard a commotion across the street. She walked outside to investigate and saw several police officers banging on the door of the home of one of her neighbors. The officers were trying to get inside, she said.

Fraizer went back inside her home to turn off her oven when gunfire broke out.

“There were so many gunshots, oh my God, it was like you were in a war zone,” she said in a telephone interview from her house as news and police helicopters circled overhead. “A shot came through the screen on my door.”

Fraizer said she dropped to the floor when she heard the shots and hasn’t moved since.

“I am scared to death, I’m on my floor in the den,” she said.

Outside, she said, SWAT officers swarmed the street and a large, bulldozer-like vehicle that looks like it is used to ram open doors was parked in a neighbor’s driveway.

Inglewood police initially reported that two officers had been wounded in a firefight with the suspect after being called to the scene about a domestic dispute. Police later said they believe only one officer was shot. The officer’s condition was unknown.

Police said they believed the suspect had barricaded himself inside the home with at least one hostage.

Inglewood Police Department Lt. Oscar Mejia said the suspect is believed to have called an Inglewood police station “a couple of times.” He said SWAT negotiators were trying to set up lines of communication to speak to him.

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Twitter: @katelinthicum