Sheriff: need to stop fanning 'flames of hatred'

Authorities were continuing the search for a gunman who shot and wounded two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in an apparent ambush in their squad car.

The department announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Surveillance video shows a gunman with a pistol open fire on the deputies’ patrol car. A handful of protesters gathered outside the the hospital where the injured deputies were being treated.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says the deputies, a male and a female who graduated from the academy 14 months ago, are expected to recover.

He also called on Monday for civic leaders to stop "fanning the flames of hatred" as America grapples with civil unrest in the wake of police brutality, saying those with such a platform should emphasize trust in the criminal justice system.

Villanueva's comments to The Associated Press came less than 48 hours after two deputies were shot in an apparent ambush in Compton, California — an area in South Los Angeles that has long been a flashpoint in the fight against racial inequality and has become the focus of protests in recent weeks after authorities fatally shot two young men of color.

Anti-police rhetoric followed the injured deputies Saturday to the hospital, where a handful of protesters gathered outside. Videos from the scene recorded at least one person in the crowd yelling, "I hope they ... die."

Josie Huang, a reporter for public radio station KPCC, was taken into custody during the demonstration. The sheriff's department later tweeted that the reporter interfered with the arrest of a male protester.