Man Struck, Injured Outside South LA Church During Police Pursuit
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) – A man who was directing traffic in South Los Angeles as part of his church processional was hurt after being struck by a hit-and-run driver Thursday night who was being pursued by police.
The victim was hit around 9 p.m. during the annual Holy Thursday procession in the area of West 87th Street and South Broadway, near Mother of Sorrows Church, Los Angeles police report.
Around the time of the procession, the LAPD was searching for a gang member wanted on several outstanding warrants. They found the suspect sitting in a parked car nearby. When officers pulled up behind him, he started to get out of the car, and then jumped back in and took off at a high rate of speed.
Less than 200 yards into the chase, he collided into a parked car. The impact was so strong it caused the parked car to slam into the parishioner, who was directing traffic from a parking lot. The man was rushed to a hospital with critical injuries. He was not identified.
"It is our understanding that the parishioner who was injured is in stable condition," the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said in a statement Friday afternoon.
After hitting the parishioner, the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Rayvon Jones, fled. Jones was taken into custody during a perimeter search in the area of 90th Street and Stanford Avenue, where he was found hiding under a car, according to the LAPD.
In response to the incident, the LAPD provided a police escort for the church's Good Friday processional.
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