Officers Recognized for Stopping Gunman in Hollywood

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck honored three police officers Friday who helped stop a gunmen on a Dec. 9 shooting spree in Hollywood.

Villaraigosa and Beck commended the three officers — West Traffic Division Police Officer Kevin Cotter, Det. Craig Marquez and Det. Travon Dixon — for running into a dangerous situation with no body armor and no radio to call for backup from other officers.

"It's one thing to go into a situation when you're fully prepared, fully briefed, have all the equipment you need and have the ability to plan." Beck said. "It's another thing when a murderous rampage causes you to leave your off-duty job, no communications equipment, no knowledge about whether there's going to be other police officers at the scene or not, and go forth and directly challenge an armed gunman who's already taken another life."

"That's heroism," Beck said.

The officers were responding to an assault by Tyler Brehm, 26, last Friday morning near Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street. Brehm began shooting at people and cars while walking through the intersection.

Cotter was working an off-duty security shift for a nearby film shoot when he heard the shots.

Marquez and Dixon were getting coffee nearby before scheduled detective work when they were told about the shooting by frantic witnesses.

Cotter and Marquez ordered Brehm to drop his weapon. Instead he pointed his gun at the officers and they shot and killed him, the department said.

Marquez extended condolences on behalf of the officers involved to the family of John Atterberry, who was killed during the shooting. Fighting back tears, Marquez said, "We obviously tried our hardest to save him, and unfortunately we weren't able to do so."

Beck declined to offer any details about how many shots were fired by the officers because the investigation was not complete.

The quick actions of the officers "absolutely saved the lives of an untold number of people who were unknowingly headed toward the violence at Sunset and Vine," Villaraigosa said.

Villaraigosa also commended three private security officers who were patrolling the Sunset & Vine Business Improvement District at the time. He said Solomon Patton, Michael Ayala and Michael Coogle helped keep people away from the area where Brehm was shooting.

Representatives from the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance (HPOA), who manage the Sunset & Vine BID, were in attendance at the press conference.

"We were very proud to see the BID patrol officers included in today's press conference," Kerry Morrison, executive director of HPOA, told Hollywood Patch.

"Both the Mayor and Chief Beck acknowledged their role in preventing unsuspecting vehicles and pedestrians enter the area where the shooter was located," she said. "We feel this is a good example of the role we have consistently played in this community: to be in partnership with LAPD and suppportive to them in any way possible."