N. Hollywood Man Surrenders After Standoff With Police

A reportedly suicidal man who fired gunshots at police and a police helicopter was arrested Wednesday after a two-hour standoff at his North Hollywood home, Los Angeles police said.

Thomas Raymond Molenda, 31, surrendered at 1:15 a.m. by walking out of his home in the 5400 block of Morella Avenue, Sgt. Ike Langsam said. Molenda was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer and was taken to the Van Nuys Jail.

Molenda holed up in his house with a 9-millimeter automatic handgun about 11 p.m. Tuesday and refused to come out after his wife went to the North Hollywood police station and reported that her husband was armed and suicidal, Langsam said.

The first officers to approach the house were told by Molenda to go away or he would shoot, Langsam said. The officers took cover. When backup officers arrived, Molenda fired more than six shots at police on the ground and in a police helicopter circling above. No one was hit. Police fired two shots back, missing Molenda.

Officer Chate Aszanonda, who fired the shots, was knocked unconscious when he tried to jump out of Molenda’s line of fire and struck his head on a wall, police said. His partner, Don Tsunawaki, a rookie, went into the line of fire and carried Aszanonda to safety, police said. The injured officer was treated at the scene.

Nearby homes were evacuated and the Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit was called. An officer, speaking to Molenda by phone, talked him into surrendering, police said.