Domestic Violence Suspect Armed With Two Handguns Apprehended
A high-speed police chase involving a domestic violence suspect ended in the West Adams neighborhood Thursday afternoon, leaving the suspect and an innocent bystander wounded, according to a Los Angeles Police Department’s social media statement.
The incident began at approximately 12:17 p.m. when officers from LAPD’s Harbor Division responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence near Gaffey and 19th streets in San Pedro. The suspect led the LAPD on a chase that went through Ladera Heights, Crenshaw, and Inglewood.
Police said the suspect, a 38-year-old man, was allegedly following a Los Angeles Department of Transportation DASH bus. The suspect was reportedly driving a white Maserati and armed with a handgun. Police were called by a rider on the bus regarding a domestic abuse incident according to Fox News.
Harbor Division officers initiated a pursuit, which spanned the 110 Freeway before concluding in the 3000 block of West Boulevard in the West Adams district. The driver drove the wrong way on freeway offramps, at high speeds, and went through stop signs and traffic lights without stopping. Luckily, no other drivers were harmed during the chase which was streamed live on YouTube by a local news outlet’s helicopter which hovered above the scene.
The chase ended when the suspect parked behind an apartment building and walked into the street, where he allegedly brandished two handguns and pointed them at officers. In response, police fired at the suspect, striking him. An innocent bystander, a woman who happened to be in the vicinity, was also hit by gunfire during the incident.
Two teenagers and a woman who was bloodied were detained near the building according to Fox News. Their father Virgil Jones told them, “My daughter and granddaughter are down there. They were handcuffed for a period of time when they hadn’t done anything, so. I mean why would you handcuff a 13-year-old and my daughter?”
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell held a press conference and said, “It was very quick. Thank God no officers were injured during this. This shows just what our officers are facing out there every day confronting a suspect who’s gonna do what they gotta do to try to get away.” LAPD found multiple casings on the ground after the gunfight, indicating that the suspect fired several rounds.
The suspect was taken into custody at the scene and transported to a hospital for medical treatment. He is reportedly in critical condition The bystander is expected to recover and was wounded in the arm.
The LAPD has not released the suspect’s identity or details of the domestic violence situation, and the investigation is ongoing.
