Actor Michael Jace, best known for his work on The Shield , was arrested early Tuesday morning in connection with the shooting death of his wife of nine years in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles, ABC7 reports.
The 51 year old Jace allegedly shot his wife multiple times Monday night. Officers responded after neighbors reported hearing gunshots around 8:30 pm. NBC Los Angeles reports that they were met at the door of the couple’s residence, located in the 5400 block of Brynhurst Avenue, by Jace and discovered April Jace, 40, “suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in a hallway of the home.” The woman died before she could be transported to a hospital.
Police confirmed that Jace was booked on suspicion of murder around 3:30 am on Tuesday. Jace’s bail is reportedly set at $1 million. While the motive is unknown, investigators do believe that the shooting was confined to the Jace residence, and they are investigating it as a homicide.
LAPD Detective Sal LaBarbera said that both of the couple’s children, boys under the age of 10, were home at the time of the shooting, although it is unclear if they witnessed the events. LaBarbera said both children were grieving, and also pointed out that officers “have not received any calls here in the past of any domestic abuse or domestic violence,” adding that it was their first time responding to that area.
TMZ reports that Jace called 911 around 8:30 and reportedly told police “I shot my wife.” They also reported that the couple’s children were “extremely upset” when taken to the police station. According to an early morning update, TMZ stated that officers were “angry” that child protective services took four hours to get to the station and transport Jace’s children to the home of a family member. In an updated report in the LA Times , Detective LaBarbera said that the couple’s children “were not physically hurt, but obviously their emotions are running high.”
Jace played a detective on The Shield , appearing in 89 episodes as Julien Lowe. He has also made appearances on Southland and The Mentalist, among other shows. In 1999, he portrayed Michael Jordan in a TV biopic of the NBA star, Michael Jordan: An American Hero . Jace also had minor roles in Forrest Gump and Planet Of The Apes .
The New Jersey native was previously married to Jennifer Bitterman, whom he divorced in 2002. Michael Jace’s marriage to April Jace was his second.
[Images via News29fm and Fox ]
