SOUTH GATE : Suspected Car Thief Shot to Death by Officer

A South Gate police officer shot and killed a suspected car thief Monday after the man opened fire with an automatic weapon, authorities said.

The incident began when two unidentified men robbed a motorist at gunpoint, threw him from his car and drove off, said Los Angeles Sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Stoneman, whose department is investigating the shooting.

A motorcycle officer who was not identified saw the stolen car stopped at an intersection shortly before 6 p.m., Stoneman said. As the officer approached, the driver fled on foot, but a man in the passenger seat opened fire.

The officer returned the fire, fatally wounding the man, Stoneman said. Other officers captured the driver about a mile away. He was booked on suspicion of robbery.