Suspect, officer exchange gunfire after traffic stop in Whittier

WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- One of two suspects who allegedly shot at an officer following a traffic stop in Whittier evaded police during an all-out manhunt on Tuesday.

The suspects' car was pulled over shortly before midnight in the 12700 block of Whittier Boulevard near Greenleaf Avenue.

According to authorities, the front passenger, an alleged gang member, pulled a gun on an officer.

That prompted the officer to fire his weapon at least twice, and the suspect did the same. Witnesses told police that the suspect shot off at least two rounds.

No one was hit, but the driver and passenger took off on foot into a neighborhood near Whittier Boulevard and Santa Fe Springs Road. Two female passengers remained in the backseat. Their involvement in the incident was under investigation.

Residents within a 1-square-mile area were told to stay inside their homes and some area roads were closed off. All roads have since reopened.

Nearby Evergreen Elementary school closed its campus for two hours but reopened to regular operations at 10 a.m.

One of the suspects was arrested after police found him hiding underneath a bench in the backyard of a home. Police said they're confident he's a gang member. A perimeter was established and K-9 units were called in to help search for the second suspect.

The active search was called off around eight hours later.

"Not only frustrating, disappointing and concerned, our concern is that if we have people that are willing to fire at law enforcement officers, they're willing to put our citizens in harm's way as well," said John Scoggins, the public information officer for Whittier police.

It was unclear which of the two suspects fired at officers. A weapon was not recovered.

City News Service contributed to this report.