Just before midnight, LAPD SWAT officers responded to a hostage call at a house in the West San Fernando Valley. About a half hour later, senior SWAT officers James Veenstra and Randal Simmons were among the first to go inside. Shortly after, police say gunman Edwin Rivera opened fire, hitting Veenstra in the face and Simmons in the neck. Simmons died shortly after 1 a.m. at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.
KPCC’s Patricia Nazario is in Northridge live outside the hospital.
LAPD SWAT Officer James Veenstra, 51, was shot in the face and jaw by 20-year-old Edwin Rivera at Rivera’s Winnetka home. Photo: LAPD
LAPD SWAT Officer Randal Simmons, 51, was the first SWAT officer killed in the line of duty since the elite Special Weapons and Tactics team began in 1967. Photo: LAPD
Since then: Simmons’ widow, Lisa Simmons, told his story in the book 41 D: Man of Valor: The Story of SWAT Officer Randy Simmons.
The Los Angeles Police Department honors SWAT Officer Randal D. Simmons.
This report is part of a five-part series on the killing of LAPD SWAT Officer Randal Simmons. See all five reports →
