Suspect Killed in Shoot-Out With Police at Motel

A shoot-out between police and robbers late Saturday night at a southwest Los Angeles motel left one of the bandits dead and three people wounded, including a police officer, authorities said Sunday.

Officer Ronald Colquitt, 32, an eight-year Los Anegeles Police Department veteran, was treated for a gunshot wound to his left side and released.

An unidentified suspect died at the scene, said Police Lt. William Hall. A second suspect, Oren Qualls, 22, was being held Sunday at County-USC Medical Center’s jail ward, where he was treated for gunshot wounds.

Another man, Rodney Duplessis, 30, who police said was being robbed by the two suspects, was wounded in the lower leg. He was treated at Westside Hospital and released.

The shootings occurred at the Solar Motel in the 2900 block of West Jefferson Boulevard shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday. Undercover vice officers were responding to complaints about prostitution activity at the motel when they saw two men beating Duplessis, Hall said.

“The victim ran through the parking lot and the suspects caught him and beat him some more and removed some money from his pockets,” Hall said. “When the officers attempted to intervene, one of the suspects produced a pistol and began firing.”

Colquitt, though wounded, fired back along with other officers. Qualls was wounded and the second assailant attempted to take Colquitt’s gun, Hall said. Colquitt, who regained control of his weapon, and another officer fired upon the suspect, who was mortally wounded, Hall said.