Police Officer Zlatko Nicholi Sintic

I was fresh out of the academy and working graveyard shift as a police officer for Cal State Northridge. We monitor LAPD radio calls as we are within Devonshire Division. Early in the morning I heard the call go out of shots fired - officer down. As a rookie in my third week on patrol, I radioed dispatch and asked them to contact my training officer (Sgt Bradley) for permission to go. He wasn't reachable (because he was already at the scene). So I decided to go. When I arrived, I parked at the gas station on the N/E corner of Devonshire and Reseda. As I walked towards the McDonalds I saw an ambulance and was told that the officer was inside (I learned later that he died).

I came up to the Pizza joint that was right before McDonalds. I then saw my Sgt on the ground with his gun trained on the McDonalds. I told him that I would go around to the other side of the Pizza joint. When I got there I ran into 4 LAPD officers. That's when the shooting started. Since I could not get a clear view of what was happening, I chose to run back to my partner as he was alone. When I got there the shooting had stopped. My Sgt. was with an employee who had escaped the McDonalds and was shot in the gut by one of the cops before collapsing next to my Sgt. (he survived).

The next few hours involved securing the area and keeping traffic out.
Later we were told that the suspect had committed suicide. I went home.

It's not the kind of night that one is likely to forget.

hank monzello
cal state northridge police dept.

March 30, 2021