A Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) officer non-fatally shot a man resisting arrest early Sunday morning.
Wolfgang Mountford, 29, of Van Nuys, was struck by a single gunshot after he allegedly ran at and struggled with an officer at about 2:15 a.m. on Sunday morning. He was treated on the scene by officers and Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) paramedics before being transported to a local hospital in stable condition, said SMPD Lt. Saul Rodriguez. He has since been released from the hospital.
SMPD responded to multiple calls for service at 10th Street and Pacific Avenue in Ocean Park around 2:15 a.m. Sunday regarding Mountford allegedly creating a disturbance by yelling loudly, throwing trash cans around and trying to open car doors. Officers handled a call involving similar behavior by Mountford earlier that morning, Rodriguez said. When officers arrived to the 2000 block of Lincoln Court, Mountford ran toward and struggled with an officer, who shot him, grazing the back of his head.
Rodriguez said he could not disclose any details on the struggle between Mountford and the officer because the incident is still under investigation.
"Detectives are still interviewing officers about what happened," he said.
Mountford, a musician, posted two public videos to his Facebook account immediately following the shooting. In one, he films himself in police custody and his blood on the street. The other shows him in the hospital with a head wound.
"I had so much of my own blood unnecessarily spilled," Mountford wrote. "About 20 minutes before this happened I had an interaction with the police, they ran my driver's license and they saw that I had no felonies, no warrants, no outstanding record, nothing and they thanked me for cooperating and let me go. 20 minutes later I'm getting either a nightstick or the butt end of some officers gun to the back of my head."
Mountford was booked for resisting an officer with force and violence. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
Airport Branch for filing consideration.
The incident is under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Santa Monica Police Department.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Officer Involved Shooting Response Team was notified and responded for an independent investigation. In accordance with Santa Monica Police Department Policy in relation to an officer-involved shooting, a concurrent administrative investigation has been initiated.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Haro at (310) 458-8432, Sergeant Christopher Skogh at (310) 458-8992 or the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.
madeleine@smdp.com
