One killed, one wounded in officer-involved shooting

A fatal Mother’s Day shooting that occurred on Sunday at 1:40 a.m. has left a mother distraught and prompted the launch of an investigation by the Inglewood Police department.
Inglewood detectives are investigating he deadly incident that involved an oncoming car in the 3000 block of Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood. Two of the three men which were riding in the car were hit by gunfire. One person, Michael Byoune, 19, was killed and another sustained a gunshot wound to his leg. A third occupant was arrested and later released.
According to Byoune’s mother, Jackie Roberts, her son was not involved in gangs or drugs.
“He was at Rally’s (fast food chain) simply to get some hamburgers,” Roberts told news reporters. “I don’t understand what happened,” she said.
“I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Michael Byoune, the deceased,” said Inglewood Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks at a press conference held Monday morning. “And I’d like to express my condolences to Mr. Larry White, who was also injured during the incident, which occurred at 1:40 a.m. in the morning on Sunday.”
The incident is under civil and criminal investigation and is also under investigation by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Two officers were on patrol near Crenshaw Boulevard and 85th Street early Sunday morning when they said they heard gunshots coming from the parking lot of a Rally’s Restaurant located at Manchester and Crenshaw Boulevards.
The policemen allegedly saw a male subject running southbound on Crenshaw Blvd. toward Manchester Blvd. According to officer’s reports, the male jumped into a vehicle, which officers allege began to move slowly through the parking lot in the 3000 block of Manchester Blvd. The policemen said they felt something hit their patrol car and heard gunshots. They thought the gunshots came from the vehicle.
According to police reports, the patrol car was not hit by gunfire, although there was gunfire in the area at the time.
“The officers believed the car was being driven towards them and that they were under fire,” said Seabrooks.
According to a preliminary investigation, both officers fired multiple shots at the vehicle, causing the vehicle to stop across from them.
The gunshots fatally wounded Byoune.
The driver, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. He is in stable condition and is expected to survive. The third person, who was taken to jail, was unharmed.
No weapons were recovered from the car, Seabrooks reported.
Neither officer was hurt, but the officers–one with five years’ seniority and the second with less than one year’s service–have been placed on administrative leave.
“The indication from the independent witnesses is that the firing that was going on that the officers may have believed was directed at them did, in fact, occur in the seconds prior to the officers’ engaging the vehicle that they saw leaving the scene,” Seabrooks said.
“I have no idea whether it was a gang-related shooting,” she added.
Eve Irvine, captain of the Inglewood detective bureau, said that three independent witnesses observed the shooting. “They saw a male subject pointing a gun and shooting. We have found expended rounds in the parking lot,” said Irvine. “We are processing the vehicles and looking for more witnesses.”
Seabrooks added that the police investigation will be objective and comprehensive.
Inglewood police detectives are seeking more witnesses. Anyone with information on the incident should call 1-888-41-CRIME or 1-888-412-7463.