Fires Through Van Window : Off-Duty Officer Shoots, Kills Suspect in Robbery

An off-duty police officer shot and killed one of two men suspected of robbing a Denny’s Restaurant in Sylmar early Thursday morning, Los Angeles police said.

Officer Edward Guzman shot Fred Pelletier, 24, as the suspect drove out of the restaurant’s parking lot, police said.

Guzman, a six-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran, had just sat down at a table in the restaurant at 12861 Encinitas Ave. about 1:30 a.m. when Pelletier and his brother, Michael Pelletier, 22, threatened a waitress with a Swiss army knife, Hall said.

“He hadn’t even seen a menu,” Hall said, referring to Guzman.

Grabbed Money and Ran

The Pelletier brothers, both of Sylmar, grabbed money out of the cash register and ran outside, Hall said. Guzman, who was not in uniform, followed them out and identified himself as a police officer, Hall said.

Fred Pelletier then jumped into a waiting Ford van, while Michael Pelletier ran away. Police later learned that the van had been stolen and hot-wired.

Hall said Guzman grabbed Pelletier’s left arm through the open window of the driver’s side of the van, put a gun to his head and yelled at him to stop. Instead, Pelletier put the van into gear and sped away with Guzman running alongside, he said.

As Pelletier sped up, Guzman grabbed the door jamb and was dragged. Fearing injury, the officer shot Pelletier in the head, Hall said. Guzman jumped free just before the van crashed through a chain-link fence and rolled to a stop in a field, Hall said. The officer was treated at a nearby hospital for abrasions on his elbows and knees.

Michael Pelletier was found hiding in a storm drain, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of robbery and was being held at the Foothill Division.