[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap] man entered a Church of Scientology in Inglewood wielding a sword Wednesday, sparking an officer involved shooting and resulting in two Inglewood Police officers being wounded, Lt. Neal Cochran told L.A. Taco.
The man was shot in the head in the incident. Cochran said it was unclear if the suspect also had a gun or how the Inglewood officers were wounded. News footage of the incident shows several police cars at the scene. One officer was shot in the hand and the other suffered an injured arm, Cochran confirmed.
An Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson told KTLA that the suspect was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He and the two wounded officers were taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The suspect was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Inglewood Police Chief Mark Fronterotta told CNS that both officers are "in good condition." According to Fronterotta, one of the officers was shot in thumb and the other suffered an injured right arm. It was unclear from reports if he was shot or wounded by the sword.
L.A. Taco crime scene reporter Nash Baker was at the scene, where a witness told him they believed the suspect had worked or attended that Church of Scientology before and possibly had a relationship that didn't end well.
In a statement, the Church of Scientology International praised the work of the Inglewood Police department in "keeping houses of worship safe against hate crimes.''
"We thank the Inglewood Police Department for their rapid response in protecting our parishioners and staff members," the statement said. "These officers are doing a heroic job protecting the community."
Nash Baker contributed to this story.
[UPDATED: March 28]
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