Teen Is Shot After Ignoring Officer’s Order

An undercover police officer who unwittingly stepped into a confrontation between rival gangs shot a 17-year-old in the leg Friday evening when the youth reportedly ignored the officer’s order to surrender, police said.

The incident began just before 5 p.m. outside Knights Liquor in the 4000 block of East Chapman Avenue, Lt. Timm Browne said.

“The officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard gunshots near the liquor store,” Browne said. “As he got out of his car, several citizens told him there were people with guns shooting at each other.”

The 17-year-old apparently had gotten into an argument with three members of a rival gang inside the liquor store when the group, all of whose members had guns, stepped outside and began shooting at one another, Browne said.

As the officer approached the store, the 17-year-old fled. The officer, who had ordered him to stop, fired several shots, then chased the youth across six lanes of traffic on busy Chapman Avenue and into the Orange Creek apartment complex, Browne said.

“The officer lost sight of him inside of the complex, until the suspect popped his head up from behind an air conditioner and faced the officer,” Browne said. “The officer fired at him; the suspect dropped behind the air conditioner. Moments later, he cried out to the officer: ‘I’ve been hit! I’m bleeding! Help me!’ ”

The youth was arrested and taken to Chapman General Hospital in Orange with a wound to the left leg.

Police later recovered a handgun that they said the youth had tossed somewhere in the complex.

The three rival gang members, all believed to be armed and in their late teens, remained at large Friday night, Browne said.