School Officer Praised as Hero

A school district policeman was praised as a hero Friday for preventing a fight and shooting outside Grover Cleveland High School from escalating and injuring more people.

The Reseda school’s principal and the chief of the district police force said that Shane Stewart, 27, helped break up the brawl outside the school Thursday without firing his own weapon, probably saving others from injury.

“He took everything into consideration in a split second,” said Principal Al Weiner. “In my book, he’s a hero.”

A 17-year-old Cleveland High student was recuperating at home Friday after suffering gunshot wounds to his hip and forearm. Another 17-year-old boy was nursing head injuries after being repeatedly hit with an object.

Los Angeles police held three suspected gang members on suspicion of attempted murder. A fourth was sought. Det. Robert Eisenhart said the suspects thought the 17-year-olds were members of a rival gang. Initially, police had said it appeared that the injured teenagers were gang members, but detectives said Friday that remained unclear.

In the moments before gunfire broke out Thursday, Cleveland High was in its usually hectic transition between the end of school and the start of after-school activities.

Suddenly, Stewart said, he saw a brawl across the street. Then shots were fired. Stewart ran into the middle of Vanalden Avenue, pulling his gun and aiming it at the attackers.

At that instant, Stewart had to decide whether to fire.

“I felt there were too many kids around,” he said later. “What if I missed, or the bullet could ricochet, or he could return fire?”

Stewart downplayed his role.

“I did what I was trained to do,” he said.