Disturbing new video shows a 31-year-old deputy tending to her partner, who's 24 years old, as she hides them both behind a column after a man fired a gun at the two LA County sheriff's deputies sitting in their patrol cruiser Saturday night in Compton.
The shocking video emerged Monday as the reward for information leading to the shooter climbed from $100,000 to $175,000.
"Her motherly instincts, God bless her, are taking over and she is on the lookout for a possible return of the suspect and she is calling for help. So she went above and beyond the call of duty," Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
Villanueva said she applied a tourniquet to her partners arm to stop the bleeding.
As she called for help, it was difficult to hear, because the female deputy was shot through the jaw, authorities said.
The sheriff said there was no contact made between the shooter and deputies before shots were fired through their open window.
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"To my knowledge they had no knowledge of this individual. No provocation. No conflict. Nothing. It was just cold blooded ambush," Villanueva said.
The attack occurred at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Line station at Willowbrook Avenue and Palmer Street.
The shooting was captured on surveillance video, but few identifying details can be seen. The man is described only as being between 28 and 30 years old and wearing dark clothing.
Surveillance video posted to the department’s Twitter account showed a man approaching the patrol vehicle from behind and walking as if he was going to continue past the vehicle before turning, walking up to the passenger side and firing, then running back the way he came.
Law Enforcement sources tell our NBC4 I-Team that investigators are looking for that person and a possible getaway driver in a black Mercedes sedan.
The department said they are exploring all avenues, and said they can’t be sure if it’s tied to gang violence or protests and recent unrest.
"We are working on promising leads — I’ll leave it that. We think we will have our hands on who did it soon enough," he said.
Authorities hope a cash reward that keeps increasing as private doors step in will help them track down whoever is responsible.
The deputies were described as a 31-year-old mother of a 6-year-old boy whose husband was at the hospital. The other was a 24-year-old man whose parents and girlfriend were also at the hospital, Villanueva said. The sheriff said he swore-in both deputies just 14 months ago.
The sheriff's department launched an overnight manhunt for the suspect Saturday, going door-to-door in some parts of the Compton area.
"I am devastated to learn of the tragedy that occurred in our city tonight," Compton Mayor Aja Brown said Saturday, in an official social media statement pledging the city's cooperation with the sheriff's department to track down the shooter. "Both deputies and their families will remain in our prayers."
The FBI announced that it was offering resources to help with the investigation.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted, "Sending prayers of healing to the @LASDHQ deputies shot in a horrific attack near the Blue Line in the City of Compton. Deputies across the county bravely work to keep our communities and Metro riders safe. We strongly condemn this cowardly ambush & stand prepared to offer aid."
President Donald Trump retweeted the shooting video and wrote, "Animals that must be hit hard!"
With suspect details so limited, the sheriff’s department is focused on identifying and finding the shooter. They have asked anyone who has information about the shooting to come forward.
Anyone with information was encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be left for L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at http://lacrimestoppers.org.
