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Man accused of shooting LAPD officer applied to the department in 2009 (update)
Caution tape marks off the Wilshire station on Tuesday, April 8, 2014.
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Erika Aguilar/KPCC
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Update 1:41 p.m. Man accused of shooting LAPD officer applied to be an officer in 2009; injured officer released from the hospital
Officials on Wednesday revealed that Daniel Christopher Yealu applied to be an LAPD officer in 2009, but was not invited to attend the academy.
Yealu is accused of entering the Wilshire Station on Venice Boulevard Monday night and shooting at two police officers in the lobby, striking one of them, police said. The officers returned fire, hitting Yealu, who remains in the hospital in critical condition.
The injured officer has been released from the hospital.
Related: LAPD shooting: How to secure a police station that is open to the public?
Bruce Whidden, public information director for the L.A. city personnel department, explained Yealu only completed the first steps of the lengthy process to become a police officer.
"He entered the process in 2009,” Whidden said. “He passed a written test but was unsuccessful beyond that.”
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A lengthy background check – that is broken up into three parts – follows the written exam. It includes a questionnaire with 150 questions about the candidate’s background and a discussion with background investigators. The department also follows up on personal and work references.
Whidden said Yealu didn’t make it to the physical test portion of the application process. He wasn’t able to comment specifically on why Yealu was disqualified from the hiring process, due to the candidate's right to privacy.
In California, most personnel records are considered exempt from the state's public records law.
--Erika Aguilar
8:20 a.m.: LAPD officer shot at station released from hospital
The Los Angeles police officer who was shot multiple times when a gunman opened fire inside a Mid-City police station Monday night has been released from the hospital.
The officer, identified only as a seven-year department veteran, was released about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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RELATED: LAPD: Man accused of shooting officer at station had applied for LAPD job
LAPD Officer Lyle Knight says the officer underwent surgery in the hospital and he is now resting at home.
"Apparently, that surgery went well and I don't know if he's going to require any additional surgery or not," Knight said.
The officer sustained multiple bullet wounds in the shooting, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. Monday at the LAPD Wilshire Division on Venice Boulevard near South La Brea Avenue.
Daniel Yealu, the man who police say opened fire inside the station lobby, is in critical condition after officers fired back.
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