Undercover officer shot three times outside suspected drug house

An undercover Downey police officer was shot Thursday while securing a suspected drug house in San Bernardino.

The officer was part of a regional drug task force that was locking down a home in the 1000 block of East Rialto Avenue about 4:30 p.m. when one of three men standing in the home’s driveway pulled out a gun and opened fire, said San Bernardino police Lt. Richard Lawhead.

“They were securing the property, locking it down, nobody moves, nobody leaves” when the gunfire began, Lawhead said.

The Downey police officer was shot in the arm, torso and buttocks, Lawhead said. The officer shot back and killed the shooter. The officer, who was wearing a protective vest, has been treated at a local hospital and released, Lawhead said.

Meanwhile, the drug task force continued its work into Friday morning despite the shooting, Lawhead said. Officers believe some gunfire also came from inside the home, so everyone who was inside is considered a suspect in the shooting.

Several men, women and children inside the home have been detained until police get a warrant to search the home. Police believe a large amount of cocaine or heroin is inside the home, Lawhead said.

The identity of the slain gunman was not immediately available.

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