LA MIRADA, CA – Undercover detectives of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) engaged in a high-risk arrest of a murder suspect in La Mirada on August 20. Dennis Bracamontes, a 43-year-old man with an active murder warrant, was traced and spotted during a surveillance operation around mid-afternoon in a parking lot near Firestone Boulevard.
As Bracamontes was about to start his vehicle, with a woman as his passenger, multiple undercover vehicles quickly entered the lot, surrounding him, the LASD revealed during a critical incident briefing.
The detectives identified themselves, ordering Bracamontes to switch off his car and show his hands. Bracamontes allegedly pointed a handgun at the detectives, inducing one of them to fire at the vehicle.
Body-worn camera footage revealed a detective firing multiple rounds towards Bracamontes’s vehicle, with one round appearing to hit another parked car. Although the alleged pointing of the gun by Bracamontes was recorded by several body-worn cameras, the actual act was reportedly not in the cameras’ view.
Following the gunfire, Bracamontes surrendered, and a Polymer 80 9mm handgun was later retrieved from inside his vehicle. He incurred minor injuries from shattered glass fragments and was transported to a local hospital before being released into custody, where he now faces murder and additional charges.
The female passenger, who was detained, remained unharmed in the encounter. Investigations into the deputy-involved shooting will be independently conducted by the sheriff’s department and the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.