Rifle Fire Wounds L.A. Police Officer : Crime: He is reported in good condition with leg injury. Bullets were fired from ambush by man wielding automatic weapon.

A Los Angeles police officer was shot and wounded Tuesday night in an ambush at the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts, police said.

About 10 to 15 shots from a semiautomatic weapon were fired at two officers after they responded to a domestic dispute at an apartment in the 11400 block of Gorman Avenue just after 9:20 p.m., LAPD Cmdr. Michael Bostic said.

The wounded officer, who was not identified, was rushed by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in a patrol car to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. Bostic said the officer was in good condition with a bullet wound to the leg.

The commander said the two officers had resolved the domestic dispute and were returning to their patrol car when an assailant opened fire on them from about 150 feet away. Bostic said the assailant was apparently standing between two building in the housing project.

“Both officers hit the ground and crawled for cover,” Bostic said. “Frankly, this was an ambush situation. There was no confrontation between the officers and the suspect.”

One witness said the officer was attacked with an AK-47 assault rifle.

Another witness said the officers were caught completely by surprise.

“They got caught in the cross-fire,” said Andre Henry, 23. “The cops didn’t have a chance. I guess it was an accident, or maybe it was cop killers, or something.”

Bostic said another Los Angeles police officer suffered minor injuries when he was involved in a traffic accident while rushing to the scene.

Police said late Tuesday night they were using dogs to search the neighborhood near the shooting for at least two gunmen. A helicopter circled the area and officers cordoned off streets.

One witness described the assailant as 18 to 20 years old and a known gang member. Police had no such information.

The Police Department’s officer-involved shooting unit was dispatched to the scene.

At least four high-ranking police officials appeared at the shooting scene wearing tuxedos and bow ties. They had been attending a police awards banquet at the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey, Bostic said.

The incident was the second shooting at Los Angeles police officers in three days. Two officers were wounded Sunday night after stopping a suspect’s car in North Hollywood.

Times staff writer Nieson Himmel contributed to this story.