Los Angeles Police released disturbing body camera footage of a completely unprovoked attack at a police station on a 30-year veteran of the force. The video from Sept. 26 shows the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Jose Cerpa Guzman, appearing seemingly out of nowhere at the Harbor Station in sunglasses and a hat.
Guzman then attacked Officer Anthony Freeman. The 21-minute video began with a zoomed out recording of Guzman and Freeman struggling on the floor. Around the 8-minute mark of the video, Freeman’s body camera showed the moment Guzman walked through the front door and started whaling away.
The situation escalated quickly. Guzman stole Freeman’s gun and repeatedly pistol-whipped the officer in the head, causing him to bleed all over the floor.
Guzman then fled the station with the gun in hand. You can hear gunshots afterwards because Freeman activated his body camera. In other words, Freeman’s non-activated body camera didn’t record audio but still recorded video. Once the device was activated, we can hear and see what happened.
Freeman continued bleeding on the floor as fellow officers chased after Guzman.
“I’m starting to black out!” he said, calling for emergency medical assistance.
The rest of the LAPD video showed a police chase, which ended with Guzman face down and in handcuffs. After the truck was stopped and Guzman was still in the driver’s seat, one officer shouted “Let me see your hands motherfucker!”
Guzman waited a couple of seconds and then emerged from the vehicle. He walked around the rear of the vehicle for a couple of seconds before he was immediately tackled to the ground by an officer.
Other cops assisted in the arrest. Guzman was wailing, seemingly in pain from having his arms pulled behind his back. He didn’t appear to say anything intelligible during the arrest.
This Sept. 26 incident occurred at a time when LAPD was already on high alert. It happened several days after two Los Angeles deputies were ambushed and shot in their patrol vehicle. Deonte Lee Murray, 36, was eventually arrested in late September.
Guzman, his mugshot pictured below, “clearly tried to kill a cop,” Los Angeles Police Protective League President Craig Lally said. The charges against Guzman reflect that.
He’s been charged for attempted murder of a peace officer, assaulting a peace officer with a deadly weapon, robbery, fleeing arrest, and resisting arrest.
Jose Cerpa Guzman
His bail was set at $2.2 million. A motive for the attack remains unclear.
[Image via Los Angeles Police Department]