HOLLYWOOD HILLS—The Los Angeles Police Department revealed on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 that Police Officer 3 Joseph Marx, Serial No. 37650 who is assigned to the Hollywood Division was identified in an officer-involved shooting that transpired in November 2018.
According to a press release from the LAPD, on November 18, around 3:40 p.m., uniformed Hollywood Patrol Division officers were northbound on Western Avenue, south of Santa Monica Boulevard, when they conducted a traffic stop of a black Range Rover with paper plates. The driver of the Range Rover, identified as Harut Torossyan, stopped his car, but fled at a high rate of speed. Officers gave chase and initiated a vehicle pursuit.
The pursuit entered the southbound Hollywood Freeway, where Torossyan was confronted with a heavy volume of vehicular traffic and exited the Range Rover on the freeway in the region of the Melrose Avenue exit. Torossyan was seen to be in possession of a handgun, after fleeing on foot across the northbound lanes of traffic, resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS).
The passenger, in Torossyan’s vehicle, Freddrick Osorio, remained inside the car and was taken into custody without further incident. Metropolitan Division K9 personnel replied to a prowler radio call at an apartment complex located in the 800 block Normandie Avenue and took Torossyan into custody.
Torossyan bore a gunshot graze wound to the top of his head and torso area and was taken to a local hospital where he was treated.
A semi-automatic handgun was recovered adjacent to the northbound freeway entrance ramp where Torossyan was last seen fleeing the location. He was booked for Assault with a Deadly Weapon (semi-auto handgun) on a Police Officer. Osorio was booked for an unrelated prior robbery. No police officers were injured during the incident.
The LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and started interviewing witnesses and collecting forensic evidence. Representatives from the Office of the Inspector General and Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division responded and monitored the investigation.
The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with the LAPD’s policies and procedures. Representatives from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office who responded to the scene will review the subsequent FID investigation; evidence collected and witness statements to determine if the force used by the officer(s) violated any criminal laws.
Anyone with additional details regarding the incident is asked to call the LAPD at any of the following numbers:
• During business hours at (213) 486-5230;
• During non-business hours or on weekends at (877)-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247);
• Anonymously 24-hours a day to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or by texting “LAPD” and your tip to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S); or
• Online at www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips.
The LAPD stated the following on its website: “The following information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation which continues to evolve as investigators interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records, and analyze forensic evidence. The Department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed.”
