Shotgun falls off LAPD motorcycle; suspect sought

SOUTH LOS ANGELES -- LAPD officers are searching for a suspect in South Los Angeles reportedly carrying a shotgun that fell from a police motorcycle.

Officers set up a perimeter near Martin Luther King and Vermont at about 12:55 p.m. Thursday. Brighton Avenue at Martin Luther King was closed around 7:30 p.m. as the search continued.

According to an LAPD captain, an officer was riding down the street and a motorist noticed the shotgun had fallen from the motorcycle blocks away. The driver pulled alongside to inform the officer, who rode back and found the shotgun was gone.

It was not immediately clear how the shotgun fell off the motorcycle. The shotgun is normally attached to the motorcycle by a clip and a Velcro strap.

During the investigation, an officer was bitten by a dog. That officer was hospitalized.