Two undercover Los Angeles police officers were shot and wounded late Saturday night after trying to intervene in a gang-related shooting they witnessed, sparking a gun battle and a massive manhunt through Koreatown.

One officer was shot in the face, and his condition was unknown. A second suffered a graze wound to the head, and was expected to survive. Both were rushed to a local hospital.

Police sources provided few details of the incident, but said the two officers were working undercover near Vermont Avenue and Leeward at about 9:15 p.m. when they witnessed some kind of gang-related shooting.

They intervened, and a gun battle ensued.


It was not immediately clear if anyone was wounded in the shooting that preceded the officers’ being shot.

Following the incident, police launched a huge dragnet around the area to try to apprehend the suspects.

By 11 p.m., police said that at least one suspect was in custody, and a gun had been recovered at the scene, although it was not clear if it was the weapon used to shoot the officers. There were reports that police were searching for a second suspect who was believed to be hiding in the area.

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com