LAPD Officer Dies Days After Being Struck While On Duty

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Police Department is mourning the death of an officer who died Wednesday days after he was struck while doing traffic control in South Los Angeles.

Jose Anzora, 31, was struck while standing outside his vehicle near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Trinity Street at about 7:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He was hospitalized in serious condition and succumbed to his injuries Wednesday.

He was the second Los Angeles law enforcement officer killed on duty in a crash last week.

The department announced Anzora's death in a statement Wednesday, saying he died following a "heroic battle for his life."

"Today we lost a guardian & protector," LAPD Chief Michel Moore tweeted Wednesday. "Officer Jose Anzora served for nearly a decade. He tragically lost his life in the selfless service in the communities in South L.A.

"Our gratitude to the medical professionals who fought so hard to save his life. May God welcome him home."

Anzora worked for the LAPD since 2011, according to the department. Moore authorized department personnel to wear mourning bands to memorialize the officer, LAPD said.

"This is such a tragedy and words cannot express the loss to all," said Eileen Decker, president of the Board of Police Commissioners. "We thank him for his service to our City of Angels and may he rest in peace."

The driver who struck Anzora remained on scene after the crash and was cooperating with police, police said.

Funeral arrangements were pending Thursday.

It's been a difficult week for LA's law enforcement community. The day before Anzora was struck by a car, a Los Angeles Sheriff's Department motorcycle officer was killed in a crash while attempting a traffic stop in Lakewood.

See Also: Fundraiser Created For Widow And Sons Of LA Deputy Killed On Duty

City News Service contributed to this report.