Driver shot and killed by police during high-speed pursuit in Bellflower
Raw video: Driver was shot and killed by police after a high-speed pursuit. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
A driver was shot and killed by Long Beach police after a high-speed pursuit came to an end Tuesday morning in Bellflower, authorities said.
The suspect was pronounced dead at 6:57 a.m. by paramedics, said Inspector Rich Licon, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The pursuit started just after 5:50 a.m. when officers spotted a stolen Honda Accord at Paramount and Artesia boulevards, according to Nancy Pratt, a spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.
“Before officers could attempt to conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle … fled the area at a high rate of speed,” Pratt said.
The driver zoomed across the 710, 105 and 605 freeways as a squad of patrol cruisers followed. During the pursuit, police said, a handgun was thrown out of the vehicle’s window.
After exiting the freeway, the suspect drove through red lights and nearly hit several vehicles on the streets of Norwalk and Bellflower.
The driver led police into a dead-end street near the 10000 block of East Foster Road. As the driver tried to turn out of the street, several patrol cruisers surrounded the vehicle.
As the car surged toward the cruisers, police opened fired on the vehicle, which came to a stop.
Moments later, a passenger emerged with his arms up. The man was taken into custody.
Protected by a ballistic shield, a group of officers then approached the driver, who had been struck by gunfire and remained seated inside the vehicle.
As officers tugged at the driver, the vehicle moved forward and came to a rest next to a palm tree.
Police later found the handgun, authorities said.
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UPDATES:
10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the pursuit and stolen vehicle.
8:10 a.m.: This article was updated with the Los Angeles County Fire Department confirming the driver was shot and killed.
This article was originally published at 7:35 a.m.
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