Riverside Officer Slain; Man Held

A Riverside police officer responding to a complaint about loud music was shot and killed Saturday by a man with a rifle who was immediately taken into custody, officials said.

The unidentified officer, who was shot in the head, was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said Riverside Police Lt. Ron Orrantia.

The incident began at 1:53 p.m. with a complaint about loud music in the 3100 block of Lemon Street, police said. An officer responded shortly after 2 p.m., then called for assistance, and a second officer arrived.

As the two officers climbed an outside staircase, a man with a rifle emerged from a downstairs apartment and shot at the officers, striking one of them, Orrantia said.

The unidentified gunman was taken into custody.