Two officers shot each other in the leg while trying to apprehend a suspect Saturday night in Elk Grove, Calif., authorities said.

The Elk Grove Police Department received a call about an attempted burglary about 11 p.m. The caller said that a man was trying to enter a travel trailer and told police that he saw the man move a firearm from a pocket in his pants to one in his sweatshirt.



For the record: This post has been updated to show that the suspect was found in possession of a firearm.

An officer arrived and told a man and woman standing near the trailer to sit on the curb. When a second officer arrived, the man took off running. The first officer chased him on foot, while the second pursued him from a cruiser, eventually intercepting the man in a shopping center parking lot.

After the first officer caught up, the two stood on either side of the suspect facing each other. According to police, the man moved toward one of the officers with his hands near his midsection, and both officers fired their weapons. The suspect was struck, and each officer was also hit in the lower leg.


Authorities provided medical aid to the suspect, identified only as a 41-year-old Sacramento man, until fire personnel arrived to transport the wounded officers and the suspect to a hospital. Both officers were treated and released for gunshot wounds that officials said were not life-threatening.

The suspect was still hospitalized Monday. Police said he was in possession of a loaded firearm when he was shot. His name and photo have not been released.

The woman at the trailer was detained and later released.

Police learned that the person who made the original call knew the suspect. The travel trailer was registered to another person but was primarily used by the man who was shot, authorities said.


The officers involved in the shooting are a 14-year veteran and a 10-year veteran of law enforcement and have been with the Elk Grove Police Department since 2006 and 2018, respectively. Both will be placed on administrative leave and, in accordance with police shooting protocol, an independent investigation will take place.

colleen.shalby@latimes.com

Twitter: @cshalby