An off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) detective was tragically killed on Sunday, January 12, 2020, after assisting an elderly woman who had fallen in the street. Sheriff Alex Villanueva shared the heartbreaking news with the media.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. in the Valley Village area of Los Angeles. Detective Amber Leist, a 12-year veteran of the LASD, had helped two people cross Riverside Drive. According to reports, one of the pedestrians, an elderly woman, fell. Detective Leist stopped to offer assistance.
“While she was returning to her vehicle, she was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound on Riverside Drive when the light had turned green,” Sheriff Villanueva stated during a 6 p.m. news conference that Sunday.
Leist was immediately transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is reportedly cooperating with the ongoing investigation. The sudden loss has deeply affected the department. According to Fox News, Villanueva reassigned personnel from the West Hollywood station to allow them time to grieve, replacing them with officers from other locations.
“Today the LA County Sheriff’s Department is grieving,” Villanueva said. “We are shocked and stunned by the sudden loss of a family member.”
Later that evening, members of the department lined up to salute Detective Leist’s body as it was draped with an American flag and placed into a coroner’s vehicle. A video posted by the department on Twitter showed officers paying their respects.
Detective Leist is survived by her family, including two sons, one of whom is currently serving in the Navy. Sheriff Villanueva assured the family that the entire department would be there to support them. The police are a family.
“It’s a tough day for our department,” Villanueva said. “We’re going to get through this as a family.”
This tragedy highlights the dangers law enforcement officers face, even when off-duty, and the sacrifices they make to serve and protect their communities. The preparing for a police funeral is a somber reminder of the risks involved in law enforcement. The cops die doing whats right.