Howard Partee identified as gunman and killer of two California police officers

Crime Scene Tape photo/editted pic from FBI.gov

The body of Howard Partee, age 33, of Willowbrook was found Wednesday after SWAT officers entered the home and the details of his death remain under investigation, according to the coroner’s office.

Police stated Friday that they will never know Partee’s motive now that he is dead.

The suspected gunman was in the attic above the kitchen while police ordered people to leave the home about 7 p.m. Tuesday, LAPD Sgt. Albert Gonzalez said.

It was unclear how many people were told to leave or who they were. When an LAPD gang officer peered into the attic, he was shot. The officer was wounded in the cheek and neck and underwent surgery overnight, officials said.

The officer was in stable condition in an intensive-care unit, Gonzalez said. A county probation officer also was wounded.

The officers were part of a unit conducting a parole-probation search of the home in an area patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“He has shown no regard for human life by shooting at our officers,” LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said of the gunman.

About 7 a.m. Wednesday, police fired tear gas into the home when they failed to successfully communicate with the shooter. Police let the gas clear Wednesday morning before deciding to go in after the suspect.

“They’ve tried to make contact with him telephonically,” Gonzalez told KTLA early Wednesday. “They have equipment such as a bear cat, smoke that can be utilized to try to encourage the suspect to give up.”

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