Officer Dies in Apparent Ambush

An off-duty Los Angeles police detective was shot to death by a masked gunman in an automobile as he picked up his 5-year-old son at a Canoga Park day-care center late Thursday afternoon in what investigators said appeared to be a planned ambush.

Bullets sprayed the center, shattering windows, but neither the slain officer’s son nor any of the numerous children attending a Halloween night dinner inside were injured, police said.

A police spokesman said the detective, identified as Thomas C. Williams, 42, a 13-year veteran of police work who had recently been assigned to the North Hollywood Division’s robbery detail, apparently died instantly as several bullets struck him in the chest and other parts of his body.

Just before the 5:40 p.m. shooting, Los Angeles Police spokesman Lt. Dan Cooke said, Williams shouted “Duck!” to his son.

The small boy, who was just entering his father’s pickup truck on the passenger’s side, managed to get down out of the line of fire. But Williams, was struck and fell in the street.

Witnesses, including costumed children preparing to go trick-or-treating from the Faith Baptist Church day-care center in the 7600 block of Glade Avenue, reportedly told police the shots were fired from an automatic weapon from a car by someone wearing a ski mask. The car reportedly was moving very slowly or came to a stop as the shots were fired--then sped north on Glade.

Cooke said it was believed the detective was able to warn his son because he spotted the ski mask.

The car was described by Cooke as a white or light gray 1975-77 Chevrolet driven by a man described as Caucasian with short hair and a possible mustache. The man was seen sitting unmasked in the car, which was parked down the street, shortly before the shooting, Cooke said.

“No one in this Police Department has ever been killed in this fashion,” Cooke said. “It appears to be a deliberate hit.”

Officers immediately cordoned off the area and police helicopters hovered overhead with searchlights. But no suspects were found.

Hours after the shooting, Williams’ body still lay beside his pickup truck. Fourteen empty shell casings were in the street nearby.

Williams’ wife, summoned to the scene from their Canoga Park home, and his son were taken to the West Valley Division police station along with witnesses to be interviewed.

“It does appear that it was an ambush of some sort,” Cooke told reporters. “We’re checking to see if the detective had any enemies.”

He said the murdered officer’s colleagues would be questioned to find out what cases he was working on, or which of his past cases were likely to stir deadly vengeance.

Police Chief Daryl F. Gates arrived at the scene shortly before 9 p.m.

“This department has had officers killed in the past,” he told reporters, “but there may be more to this one.”

He declined to elaborate.