Officer Involved Shooting With ADW Suspect

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, December 3, 1999
On Thursday, December 2, 1999, at approximately 8:00 PM, Harbor Area Patrol and Crash units were following a wanted "assault with a deadly weapon" suspect in the Wilmington Area. The officers attempted to stop the suspect who was driving a minivan. The suspect turned onto Baypoint Avenue, which is a cul-de-sac, and appeared to stop his vehicle. The officers exited their vehicles but the suspect continued south on Baypoint Avenue where he turned around and drove back towards the officers. However, he could not proceed because of the police vehicles were blocking the narrow cul-de-sac roadway.

Because the suspect refused to obey the officer’s commands to exit his van, the officers formulated a plan and deployed the less than lethal beanbag shotgun. Two officers then approached the suspect’s van, opened the driver’s side door, and attempted to remove the suspect. However, as they did this, the suspect accelerated backwards trapping the officers between the door and the van until the officers were forced into a parked car where they fell injured to the roadway. The suspect continued backing-up until he turned his van around and drove into a residential driveway and collided head on into a residence garage. The suspect then backed-up again toward several officers. Officers, fearing for their lives, and the lives of local residents who had exited their homes, fired at the suspect in an attempt to stop him. The suspect continued until he lost control of his van and collided with a parked car. The wounded suspect was taken into custody without further incident. A female passenger, who was also wounded, was taken into custody.

The suspect was treated at the scene by LAFD paramedics but failed to respond to emergency treatment and was pronounced dead at the scene. The female passenger was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where she was treated for a gunshot wound to her leg and released from the hospital.

The two officers who were injured while attempting to remove the suspect from his van were treated at a local hospital for minor leg and foot injuries. A third injured officer received more serious injuries to his leg and back and his condition is currently being evaluated.

For Release 1:30 pm PST
December 3, 1999