Cop shooter killed, Oscar G. Gallegos

Cop shooter killed, Oscar G. Gallegos

Oscar Gabriel Gallegos, 33, was shot and killed by police after he shot two police officers.

Santa Ana Police was able to positively identify Gallegos as the suspect in the shooting of two Long Beach Police Officers.

Gallegos was the subject of an intense manhunt since the shooting on Friday. Gallegos was stopped for running a red light when he got out of his Nissan Pathfinder and shot the officers while there were still sitting in the police car.




Officer Roy Wade on left and Officer Abe Yap on the right







Yap was shot in the face, but the bullet missed his brain and his prognosis is reported to be good. Wade, who was just three weeks out of the police academy, was shot in the chest and neck. Neither officer returned fire.

After the shooting, the Pathfinder sped off, its driver exchanging gunfire with other police officers at Long Beach Boulevard and Broadway, said Long Beach police Officer Jason Evans. No one was wounded in that clash, and the gunman escaped.

Santa Ana Officers, at the request of Long Beach Police, went to a strip mall parking lot on Wednesday and saw Gallegos in a Toyota Camry.

Once again, Gallegos got out of the car and opened fire at the Santa Ana officers.

Three officers shot back this time and they hit the suspect multiple times and fatally wounded him.

Police told the press that Gallegos was a known thug with a long rap sheet. The rap sheet dated back to 1990 when he was arrested for firearms violations. He has also been arrested for drug offenses, making terrorist threats and assault with a deadly weapon.

His rap sheet also indicated that he had been deported three times.

Police waited for the autopsy report to confirm the man was Gallegos. Police believed after the shooting it was him but waited to make the positive identification.

Before Wednesday's shootout, Long Beach police and city officials announced a $75,000 reward for information leading to Gallegos' arrest.

Anyone interested in making a donation to aid the officers and their families can send them to: Widows and Orphans Fund, Long Beach Police Officers Association, 2865 Temple Ave., Long Beach, Calif. 90755.