Murder, Robbery Suspect Shot By Police In Downtown LA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —A robbery and murder suspect was shot by police following a lengthy car chase in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The pursuit started around 6 p.m. in the Westlake area when police recognized the suspect's car as being reported stolen earlier in the day in Studio City, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The unidentified man was involved with the armed carjacking of that vehicle. The LAPD said he was also wanted for a murder committed in July.
The chase went from downtown L.A. to Echo Park and back downtown.
The driver was texting a friend saying he was not going to come out of the situation alive.
Sky2's Stu Mundel said the driver was being very aggressive, nearly hitting cars in the street.
The pursuit ended around 7:15 p.m. when the suspect hit a car and exited his vehicle on Seventh and Bixel streets.
He then pulled out an AK-47 and started to shoot at officers before police returned fire, hitting him multiple times in the lower extremities.
The man was transported to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where he's listed in critical but stable condition.
"He was putting people in danger for the better part of an hour throughout Los Angeles by disregarding rules of the road. We attempted to stop him repeatedly, obviously he didn't stop. He seemed to be bent on getting away from us and ultimately, an officer-involved shooting occurred," said Commander Andrew Smith from the LAPD.
No one else was injured in the incident.
The investigation into the officer-involved shooting was ongoing as of Wednesday morning.
RELATED STORY:Downtown LA Pursuit Suspect's Brother Involved In Similar Incident
