LAPD officer wounded in station shooting is released from hospital

The officer who was shot multiple times when a gunman opened fire inside a Mid-City Los Angeles police station Monday night has been released from the hospital, officials said Wednesday.

The officer, identified only as a seven-year department veteran, was released about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and is recovering at home, LAPD Officer Wendy Reyes said.

The officer sustained multiple bullet wounds in the shooting, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. Monday at the LAPD Wilshire Division on Venice Boulevard near South La Brea Avenue.

The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Daniel C. Yealu, remains hospitalized for injuries he sustained when the two officers he shot at returned fire.

At a news conference Monday, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the wounded officer was “very lucky” that his injuries weren’t worse, if not fatal. Bullets struck him twice in the shoulder, once in the side and one shot deflected off the officer’s backup pistol, Beck said.

Officials on Tuesday displayed weapons and ammunition they said were found during a search of Yealu’s home and car, which was parked outside the LAPD Wilshire Division.

Beck said Yealu used a Glock pistol and was carrying extra magazines. A “heavily modified” AK-47 was found in his car parked outside the Wilshire Division station, police said, and more high-powered weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were later found at Yealu’s home.

“By the grace of God, the suspect did not come in with the assault weapons that he has had access to, one of which I believe was in his vehicle,” Beck said.

Investigators are still trying to determine what prompted the attack, saying only that Yealu told the officers he had a complaint before he began shooting.

LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith said Yealu had applied to become an LAPD officer but was rejected. The city personnel department said he sought the job in 2009 and had passed a written test.

Officials believe the violence Monday night could have been a lot worse had the gunman not been subdued quickly — about 20 people were attending a community meeting just feet from where the shots were fired.

“The belief was he was going to go a lot further than just the two people at the front desk,” Los Angeles Police Commission President Steve Soboroff said.

Authorities were also trying to determine how he obtained what Beck described as an “armament” of weapons: a 9-millimeter handgun, a semiautomatic Sig Sauer handgun, an AR-15-style assault rifle, a 1960s SKS-model assault rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun.

Staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.

joe.serna@latimes.com

Twitter: @josephserna