Arcadia officer shot in the face, suspect surrenders after hours-long standoff

A suspected gunman is in custody after authorities say he shot a cop in the face and then led SWAT on an hours-long standoff in Arcadia

A source initially told FOX 11 of a possible shooting investigation in the 2500 block of Greenfield Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. The Arcadia Police Department later confirmed the location of the incident, adding that the incident stemmed from a family disturbance. 

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who is assisting Arcadia police, the suspect went to his mom’s house armed with a gun, threatening her.  

The suspect has since been identified as 47-year-old Nurhan Venk.

When police arrived on scene, they spoke to two victims outside that house. At that time two gunshots were heard coming from inside the house, the sheriff’s department said in a statement. Officers approached the house and heard additional gunshots. One officer was struck; several other officers retreated as additional rounds were fired.  

The sheriff’s department says the suspect’s 73-year-old mom and her 12-year-old grandson were able to safely run away from the house.  

During the incident, the mother sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. An elderly neighbor, who lives across the street, was inside the home during the dispute and was struck in the face by a stray bullet.  

The injured officer, along with the two victims were transported to a nearby hospital. Their injuries were non-life threatening.  

The suspect barricaded himself inside the home for the next several hours. The triple shooting prompted a SWAT response, with the standoff extending just past 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. After hours of negotiations, Venk surrendered to authorities without incident. 

Investigators say Venk sustained an ‘accidental and self-inflicted’ gunshot wound to the leg. No officers discharged their firearms during this incident.

On Thursday morning, police said the officer was in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. Officials have not released the police officer's identity.

Arcadia Police Chief Roy Nakamura released a statement saying in part,"The outpouring of support we have received from the members of the community, including the City Council, the City Manager’s Office, City Departments, and especially from our allied law enforcement agencies, has been tremendous.  I cannot emphasize how much your support means to the men and women of the Arcadia Police Department. Our well-wishes go out to the additional victims and their families who were injured because of the incident.  I also thank the residents in proximity of the incident for their understanding and cooperation after having been temporarily displaced from their homes during the incident and investigation."

The suspect is expected to face several felony charges including the attempted murder of a peace officer and additional attempted murder charges.