Officer Fires Shots as Car Almost Hits Him

A San Fernando police officer fired shots at a car as the driver attempted to run him down Sunday morning, police said. Occupants of the car, suspects in an earlier stabbing, escaped.

Officer Tom Favazzo was uninjured in the 2:05 a.m. incident in the 11300 block of Rincon Avenue. Police did not know if any shots fired by Favazzo hit the car’s occupants, believed to have been involved in a stabbing in the 1100 block of 1st Street about 40 minutes earlier.

According to Sgt. William Miron, police found Jesus Campos Bernal Jr., 19, stabbed several times, at 1:25 a.m. Bernal was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was in stable condition.

About 40 minutes after the stabbing, officers responded to calls of gang activity in the 600 block of Chatsworth Street and the 800 block of Mott Street. Vehicles seen in those areas matched descriptions of those seen fleeing the stabbing.

Police stopped one vehicle and Favazzo pursued a second to a cul-de-sac on Rincon Avenue. As Favazzo approached the vehicle, the driver attempted to run him down. Favazzo fired at the vehicle, which sped away. Police later found two loaded shotguns in the cul-de-sac. No one was arrested in the first car.

Police were searching for the occupants of the second car Sunday, but did not release descriptions of them.

Miron said the shooting will be investigated by Favazzo’s supervisor.