The shooting happened about 6:30 a.m. near Foothill Boulevard and Astoria Street.
An officer spotted a suspicious male about 16 to 25 years old hiding behind a parked car.
As the officer drove by, the suspect yelled a derogatory slur, pulled out a gun and fired a round, officials said.
Authorities said the suspect ran into an apartment complex where they believed he was holed up.
The /*Los Angeles Police Department*/ searched the area for nearly eight hours, but was not found inside the perimeter set up.
Authorities said it appears to be a random incident.
"This is broad day light," said Cpt. William Scott of the LAPD. "It's frustrating enough to know that somebody was shooting at anybody, but when you shoot at a police officer, an officer who's out there to protect the public, it's a crime against society."
Investigators continued looking for leads after the manhunt.
"It's a very frustrating situation that we could not catch this individual," Scott said.
