Woman in stable condition after 2nd LAPD Hollywood shooting

A woman is in stable condition after an LAPD officer shot her in the leg early Friday morning in the heart of Hollywood. It was the second police shooting this month near the popular Hollywood and Highland shopping complex.

The woman has been identified by several media outlets as 47-year-old Diamond Vargas.

A police commander said officers were responding to a call about a woman involved in an assault with a deadly weapon inside an underground parking structure that serves the shopping complex. When they arrived, they found a woman armed with a “small caliber handgun,” he said.

“The officer faced imminent danger because she was armed with a weapon,” Lt. Michael Lang said. He did not elaborate on what prompted the officers to fire. Detectives continue their investigation into the incident.

The area is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It’s home to the TCL Chinese Theater, El Capitan and Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Nearly half a million people walk through that area every day,” Lang said. “It’s a major tourist attraction.”

On December 5, two LAPD officers shot and killed a man allegedly armed with a knife at the Hollywood and Highland intersection. That incident also remains under investigation.

"Our livelihood in Hollywood depends on people coming there.  And anything of this nature is of concern,” said Leron Gubler, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. “The city has committed a lot of resources to the area and we have confidence in the LAPD.”

Lang says crime bumped up about one percent in Hollywood this year - comparable to the rest of the city.

This story has been updated.