'A Tremendous Loss': Los Angeles Police Officer Dies In Training

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles police officer died Sunday after injuring his spinal cord during a training exercise, according to Police Chief Michel Moore.

Officer Houston Tipping, 32, was injured Thursday during a training exercise at Elysian Park Academy.

Tipping was acting as a bike instructor for a training scenario that involved him grappling with another officer. Tipping fell to the floor and injured his spinal cord, according to an LAPD statement. Nearby officers performed CPR, and the Los Angeles Fire Department transported to LA County-USC Medical Center.

"Despite the extraordinary measures taken by the medical professionals there, Officer Tipping succumbed to his injuries [Sunday] surrounded by his family," Moore said in the statement.

Tipping was a police officer for five years and was working at the Devonshire Community Police Station in Northridge at the time of his death.

Tipping's death is a "tremendous loss" to the Devonshire community, said Lt. Nemechek with the Devonshire Community Police Station. Tipping was very outgoing and one of the station's most productive officers, someone who younger officers looked up to for guidance and mentorship, Nemechek said.

Tipping's death was particularly difficult to handle given it occurred during training, Nemechek said.

"The nature of police work is dangerous ... [but] you would never think that something like this would happen in training," Nemechek said. "You think you’re going to a school to receive some training and something horrible like this happens — it's unexpected."

The department opened an investigation into the training accident, according to a statement from LAPD. The department will try to identify additional safety measures to avoid a similar in the future, the statement said.

"A bright and uplifting young man with a full life in front of him. Grief, sorrow and sadness," Moore said in a tweet.