(Downey Police Department)
A 5-year veteran of the Downey Police Department and Marine veteran was shot and killed on the night of November 18. The body of Officer Ricky Galvez, 29, was found in the parking lot of his police station. Authorities initially called the attack “targeted.” It later emerged that it was a robbery gone wrong.
The city of Downey is 12 miles south of Los Angeles.
This is a breaking story so stay tuned for updates.
Here’s what we now so far:
1. He Was Nearing the End of His Shift When He Was Killed
Police believe that the suspects walked up to Galvez inside of his personal car and opened fire on him, reports KTLA. The two gunmen are thought to be male, reports the Los Angeles Times. He was coming towards the end of his shift when he was killed. KTLA reports that he was in plain-clothes and had been involved in a training exercise prior to being shot.
2. Downey Cops Say 3 Hispanic Male Suspects Are in Custody & Being Held Without Bail
The scene after the arrest of suspects in the Galvez shooting. (Screengrab via KTLA)
Members of the Downey Fire Department were sent to the police station in the city at around 11:30 p.m., after receiving reports of an injured man in the parking lot. There, paramedics discovered the body of Ricky Galvez. Though investigators are not clear about where the shooting took place. The Downey Police Department is located along the 10900 block of Brookshire Avenue in Downey. The Los Angeles Times says that an officer in the area heard the gunfire but didn’t realize where it originated.
Police have arrested two suspects in the shooting not long after the attack and were searching for another man. The two arrested first were found in Montebello. That’s about 6 miles north of where Galvez’s body was found. CBS Los Angeles reports that Downey officers found the two suspects after midnight on November 19, after a short car chase, the pair fled on foot until they were apprehended. Later, a third man was arrested, reports KTLA.
According to a Sheriff’s Department press release, all three suspect are Hispanic males ages, 16, 18, and 21. They are all being held without bail.
3. Galvez Served in Operation Enduring Freedom
Galvez was a former US Marine. (Downey Police Department)
Downey Police Chief Carl Charles told the media that Galvez was a “tremendous young man, who loved serving the residents of Downey,” reports the Los Angeles Times. He was not married and did not have any children. The Times says that Galvez was twice deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Charles said “His smile was infectious and his professionalism was always on display…Words cannot express the love and respect we have for Ricky.”
Downey Mayor Luis Marquez later issued a statement in tribute of Galvez saying “Every day, the brave men and women of our Downey Police Department put themselves at personal risk to keep us all safe. We are incredibly sorrowed at the loss of Officer Galvez and our thoughts and prayers are with all who knew and loved him.”
4. A Sheriff’s Department Spox Called the Attack ‘Very Brazen’
KPCC’s Nick Stoffel quotes an official saying that the attack on Galvez was “very brazen.” The motive is still unclear at this point. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. John Corina told the media “It appears like he was targeted, it doesn’t look random.” The following day, Corina told the media “It looks like these guys were out looking for somebody to rob. They saw Officer Galvez sitting in his car — it was his personal car — and they thought, ‘Well, we’re going to go up and rob this individual.’ When they approached the car, that’s when they shot him.”
5. The City of Downey Has One of the Most Active Anti-Gang Programs in America
(Downey Police Department)
The city of Downey has one of the more active anti-gang programs in the country. It’s known as GOOD (Gangs Out of Downey) and maintains a close partnership with the Downey Police Department. The mission statement of the group reads:
Gangs Out of Downey (G.O.O.D.) strives to involve the entire community in the prevention of youth gang activity. The people of Downey never want to be in a position of having to reclaim the streets and parks of our city. G.O.O.D. unifies local government, business, schools, civic organizations, and residents in this effort.