SANTA MONICA : Gunman Slain; Bulletproof Vest Saves Officer’s Life

A Santa Monica police officer killed a gunman who shot him as he and other officers burst into an apartment Friday to serve a search warrant, police said.

The officer was wounded in the arm and was in good condition at a local hospital. His bulletproof vest stopped bullets that would have hit him in the chest, said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Andy Joseph.

Police and U.S. Secret Service agents were confronted when they went to a 28th Street apartment to serve a search warrant for counterfeit money and drugs. The officers found three other guns and an undisclosed amount of counterfeit bills and U.S. currency and drugs, Joseph said. The suspect’s name was withheld pending notification of relatives, and the name of the officer was not disclosed.