Officer-Involved Shooting Occurs After Carjacking Suspect Tries to Run
Down Officers
"Officer-Involved Shooting Occurs After Carjacking
Suspect Tries to Run Down Officers"
West Los Angeles: This morning, shortly after
10:00 a.m., an officer-involved shooting occurred after a carjacking
suspect, driving a newer model Hyundai, attempted to run down three Los
Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers, as they stood in a driveway of an
apartment complex located in the 1700 block of Beloit Avenue.
Los Angeles Police Department Officer Chiquita Brown
(Serial No. 35252, 30 years old, 3 years with the Department) and her
partner were assigned Unit 8A59 and on patrol in the area of the 1700 block
of Beloit Avenue, when they received a LoJack activation, advising them that
they were in the vicinity of a stolen vehicle. In conducting their
investigation, the officers became aware of the description and license
number of the stolen vehicle. The officers were also advised that the
vehicle was taken earlier in the day, in a carjacking. The suspect used a
semi-automatic handgun and was to be considered armed and dangerous. The
area is made up of numerous multi-unit dwellings. This necessitated that the
officers exit their vehicle to conduct a search of the area on foot. As the
officers came around a building to proceed westbound on the driveway,
adjacent to that building, they observed the vehicle, a silver Hyundai
Elantra, in the narrow driveway facing eastbound. Inside the vehicle was a
lone male suspect.
The suspect was ordered to get out of the vehicle. The
suspect refused to comply and instead, accelerated the vehicle at the
officers in an attempt to run them down. The suspect crashed the vehicle
against a wall. He backed up the vehicle and again, drove it at the
officers, attempting to run them down. Officer Brown was in fear for her
partner’s and her own safety and an officer-involved shooting occurred.
Once again, the vehicle crashed into a wall. The suspect, apparently not
impacted by Officer Brown firing at him, backed up the vehicle and again,
attempted to run down the officers. By this time, a third officer (Robert
Lockhart, Serial No. 32961, 29 years old, 6 years with the Department) had
arrived at the scene. Officer Lockhart observed the suspect accelerate the
vehicle towards the two officers. It also appeared that the suspect was
reaching under the dashboard area as if trying to retrieve a weapon. Officer
Lockhart became fearful for his safety and that of the other two officers.
At this time, a second officer-involved shooting occurred, as Officer
Lockhart fired his Department-issued pistol at the suspect.
The suspect sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the
torso and was transported by paramedics to a local hospital. He is currently
listed in critical condition but is expected to survive his injuries. A
semi-automatic handgun was recovered at the scene from inside the vehicle,
driven by the suspect. The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, in his
mid 20’s. He will be booked for Carjacking and Assault with a Deadly
Weapon on Police Officers.
The vehicle used by the suspect was stolen shortly after
7:00 a.m., today. The suspect reportedly carjacked a female victim, as she
was putting items into her vehicle, in the 4300 block of Berryman Avenue
[Pacific Area]. The suspect reportedly pointed a semi-automatic handgun at
the victim and demanded the victim’s vehicle, a 2002 Hyundai Elantra,
silver in color.
The investigation is on going and is being conducted by
Robbery Homicide Division and Critical Incident Investigation Division.
Please contact Media Relations Section at 213-485-3586 if you have inquiries
regarding this press release.
This release was prepared by Lieutenant Horace E. Frank,
Officer in Charge, Media Relations Section.
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