Man Pleads Not Guilty To Attempted Murder In LAPD Harbor Attack

LONG BEACH, CA — A Los Angeles man Friday pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder in connection to the September 26 attack on two officers at the LAPD Harbor Station in San Pedro.

Jose Guzman, 29, also faces charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, second-degree robbery, and evading and resisting an officer. He could face life in prison if convicted, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

The D.A.'s office says Guzman walked into the police station around 10 p.m., where he got in a verbal argument with an on-duty officer. He then left the building, only to come back and attack the officer.

Security footage shows a suspect taking the officer's gun and pistol-whipping him several times in the head. After attempting to leave the station, Guzman exchanged shots with a second officer who came into the lobby, but no injuries were reported.

The D.A.'s office says Guzman fled the scene but was shortly discovered. He has remained in jail since the incident on $2.2 million bail.

The injured officer was expected to make a full recovery, according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore.

"I am grateful that the officer ... who was working the desk (and) came out to assist this individual to understand what his needs were, that he survived and that during this engagement that he did not lose his life," Moore said. "He did not suffer the injury that apparently this suspect meant to inflict."

It remains unclear how the suspect entered the station, which is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Moore told reporters that although stations are locked, officers do answer the door when someone knocks.

City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the 15th Council District and was an LAPD officer for 15 years, said: "What happened here at the police station was horrible, but something horrible is happening in our country. There is too much of a divide in our values in law enforcement. Let's be reminded. Our police officers are our angels in the City of Angels. They protect us."

This article originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch