Police Kill Man Suspected in Drug Slayings

Plainclothes police officers shot and killed a man suspected in a string of drug-related slayings after he allegedly rammed his car into a police car and picked up a gun, authorities said Tuesday.

Anthony Lloyd Crumpton, 21, was attempting to drive away from a house in the 300 block of West 64th Street on Monday afternoon when undercover detectives blocked the road with a car, Lt. William Hall said.

Crumpton backed his car into a second officer’s car, drove a short distance, then stopped and picked up a loaded 9mm pistol, Hall said. Crumpton was struck in the back of the head by one of 18 shots fired by three detectives, Hall said.

Crumpton died at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center early Tuesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

No one else was injured in the shooting, Hall said.

Crumpton was named in an arrest warrant issued May 4 in connection with an attempted murder April 20 in the southwest area of Los Angeles, Hall said. He also was under investigation for possible involvement in several drug-related slayings dating to 1987.

The officers who shot Crumpton were assigned to the Gang Information Section of the Detective Services Division.

Detectives from the gang detail were assigned to track Crumpton beginning in March, but the suspect was not located until Monday, when authorities received a tip that Crumpton was in the vicinity of 64th Street and Broadway, Hall said.

Detective Frank Barkowski, a 16-year veteran, and another officer, found Crumpton’s car parked on West 64th Street on Monday afternoon. Additional plainclothes gang detectives were called in to watch the house.

About 2:15 p.m., Crumpton got into the car and drove west a short distance until his path was blocked by an officer’s car. Crumpton backed up, rammed a second officer’s car and drove forward as several of the officers ran to surround him.

Barkowski saw Crumpton had a handgun and alerted other officers, Hall said.

“When Crumpton continued to display the handgun and look around at the officers, Detective Barkowski, fearing Crumpton would shoot one of the officers or himself, fired two rounds from his 9-millimeter pistol at Crumpton,” Hall said.

“Simultaneously, Detectives Dale Hines, 47, a 27-year veteran, and Ruben Holquin, 32, 13 years with the department, also fearing they were about to be shot, fired eight rounds apiece from their 9-millimeter pistols,” he said.

After the shooting, officers found Crumpton clutching a loaded 9-millimeter pistol.

Investigators did not disclose whether Crumpton belonged to a gang. Details of the attempted homicide and the drug-related slayings were not immediately revealed by police.