Suspected gang member at large after shooting Coachella police officer

COACHELLA, Calif. (KABC) -- A manhunt is underway for a suspected gang member who allegedly shot a Coachella police officer following an attempted traffic stop.

At around 7:45 p.m. Thursday, a Coachella Police Department officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car in the area of Harrison and First streets. The driver of the vehicle refused to pull over and threw a handgun from the car, according to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

A short time later, the officer was able to track down the car near Calle Mendoza and Las Flores Avenue, where the suspect ditched his vehicle and fled on foot through a residential neighborhood.

The officer chased the suspect, who shot the officer with a handgun. The officer called for assistance, and multiple officers and medical personnel responded to the scene. The officer was airlifted to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Coachella police and Riverside County Sheriff's Department SWAT responded to the scene to search for the suspect. The search is ongoing.

The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Gildardo Davila of Coachella. He is a suspected gang member and considered armed and dangerous.

If you have any information about this case, you're urged to contact Investigators Dickey of the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777 or Investigator Nieburger at (760) 863-8990. You can also submit anonymous tips by contacting Valley Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP.