3 Officers Wounded When Shotgun Accidentally Fires

Three officers summoned to arrest an armed woman in Studio City were slightly wounded Tuesday when one of their shotguns accidentally went off, police said.

The officers went to an apartment in the 4200 block of Whitsett Avenue after receiving reports that a woman was armed with a gun and creating a disturbance, Los Angeles Police Lt. Anthony Alba said.

After entering the residence, the officers arrested Debra Nichols, 37, and were leaving the apartment when a shotgun carried by Officer Thomas Martinez discharged, Alba said.

Martinez, a rookie officer still in his 18-month probationary period, was injured in the foot, Alba said. Officer Richard Kehr, a 5 1/2-year veteran, was wounded in the left arm and Officer Jerome Theaker, a 26-year veteran, was injured in the head.

The three men were taken by ambulance to a hospital where they were treated and released, Alba said. He said detectives are investigating the accident to determine how it occurred.

Nichols was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and booked at the LAPD’s Van Nuys Division headquarters.