Hospital Releases Wounded Officer
A Santa Monica police sergeant, shot twice in an exchange of gunfire with an alleged hit-and-run driver in Van Nuys on Friday, has been released from a hospital in good condition, authorities said Saturday.
Sgt. Ralph Bauer, a 23-year veteran of the Santa Monica Police Department, was released from Northridge Hospital Medical Center just a few hours after he was shot in the neck and back Friday evening. Authorities said Bauer’s bulletproof vest saved his life.
Bauer, 49, had been returning to Santa Monica on his motorcycle after completing an accident investigation in North Hollywood when he was flagged down by motorists at the scene of a hit-and-run accident. He was shot while looking for the suspect.
Los Angeles police booked Brian Goff, 30, as a suspect in the shooting.
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