A Los Angeles Police Department officer has died following a training exercise in Huntington Beach on Thursday, according to official statements.
The officer, identified as Thomas Denton of the department's Metropolitan Division, was transported to a hospital after a medical emergency call was received around 11 a.m. in the 17000 block of Crown Circle. The Huntington Beach Fire Department responded to the scene and took the individual to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Few details regarding the specific circumstances of Officer Denton's death during the training exercise have been released. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, Sgt. Lisbeth Gwisdalla, confirmed that the coroner’s office is in possession of Denton's body and a full autopsy is scheduled.
Records indicate that Officer Denton joined the LAPD approximately two years prior to his death. In 2008, Denton was involved in a fatal shooting incident while working a narcotics case. During that incident, a suspect reportedly lunged at Denton and another officer with a knife, leading both officers to discharge their firearms, resulting in the suspect's death.
