SOUTH GATE, CA - Two police officers — one from South Gate, the other from Downey — were hospitalized today with burn and blast injuries they suffered during a K-9 training session in South Gate, authorities said.
Fire crews responded about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday to the explosion in the 5600 block of Imperial Highway, between Garfield Avenue and the Los Angeles River, said a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher.
The two officers were injured while conducting a canine training exercise inside an unoccupied commercial building, said sheriff’s Deputy Lisa Jansen, whose agency is investigating the incident. The training was not immediately described in detail.
There was also an electrical fire during the training session, resulting in both officers being seriously burned, Jansen said. The officers suffered burns to their faces and upper bodies, authorities said.
The officers were taken to a hospital and were in fair condition this morning, Jansen said, adding they were improving.
The cause of the explosion and electrical fire was under investigation.
The Downey officer is a 17-year veteran while the other officer has been in the Downey Police Department 10 years, according to broadcast reports.
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A corporal from the Downey Police Department and an officer from South Gate were hospitalized Thursday with burn and blast injuries they suffered during a K-9 training session in South Gate, authorities said.
Fire crews responded about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday to the explosion in the 5600 block of Imperial Highway, between Garfield Avenue and the Los Angeles River, said a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher.
The corporal and officer were injured while conducting a canine training exercise inside an unoccupied commercial building, said sheriff’s Deputy Lisa Jansen, whose agency is investigating the incident.
There was also an electrical fire during the training session, resulting in both being seriously burned with injuries to their faces and upper bodies, authorities said.
The two were taken to a hospital and were in fair condition this morning, Jansen said, adding they were improving.
The cause of the explosion and electrical fire was under investigation.
The Downey corporal is a 17-year veteran while the other officer has been in the South Gate Police Department 10 years, according to a broadcast report.
City officials visited the two and remain in close contact with their families, according to Shannon DeLong of the Downey city manager’s office.
Mayor Fernando Vasquez, Mayor Pro Tem Sean Ashton and council members Alex Saab, Rick Rodriguez and Blanca Pacheco all issued statement of support.
“Please keep our injured officers and their families in your thoughts and prayers,” Ashton said.
Pacheco said the “accident is a poignant reminder of the risks that law enforcement officers take in ensuring our communities are safe.”
Statistics show that 20-30 percent of the military and police injuries/deaths injured occur during training exercises.