Police Official’s Roommate Dies in Apparent Suicide

A friend and roommate of Los Angeles Police Commissioner Art Mattox was shot dead Saturday morning in an apparent suicide at the home he shared with the commissioner, police said.

The man’s name was not released pending notification of his next of kin, but authorities said he appeared to have died from a gunshot to the head. A gun was recovered near the man’s body, sources said.

The circumstances of the shooting led police to tentatively conclude that the man killed himself, but authorities were continuing to investigate.

“Physical evidence was recovered that leads us to believe that it was self-inflicted,” said LAPD Cmdr. David J. Gascon, the department’s lead spokesman. “I’m not commenting on what the evidence is,” he added, declining to say if a suicide note was found.

Mattox, 38, was not available for comment Saturday. Police said he was helping detectives with their investigation.

News of the death was communicated to high-ranking members of the LAPD within hours of the emergency call. Despite the early indications that the death was a suicide, Police Chief Willie L. Williams directed that the department’s Homicide Special Section, part of the robbery-homicide division, handle the investigation.

Robbery-homicide detectives are considered the department’s best investigators and handle complicated or high-profile deaths. In this case, they will be assisted by Northeast Division detectives.

According to Gascon, police received an emergency 911 call from Mattox at 11:06 a.m. Saturday. Northeast patrol officers went to Mattox’s Eagle Rock home, where the commissioner told them that his roommate had been shot.

The officers called for paramedics, Gascon said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

As a police commissioner, Mattox is one of five civilians who sets policy for the Police Department. Although they are not members of the department, the commissioners are its highest authority, with the power to hire and fire the police chief, among other things.

Mattox, an easygoing and much-admired member of the commission, was appointed to the panel last year by Mayor Richard Riordan and was chosen in part because of his long volunteer work with the LAPD. During his time on the board, Mattox has played a leading role in a number of issues and has made it a point to accompany police officers as they patrol the city.

He is the commission’s first openly gay member and has been instrumental in the effort to combat sexual harassment and discrimination within the ranks.

Times staff writer John Hurst contributed to this story.