Authorities Saturday identified a man who was fatally shot by police after he allegedly fired at officers with a “ghost gun” during a vehicle chase on the San Diego (405) Freeway in Westchester.
The decedent was identified as Thomas Hearn, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officers responded to a report of a robbery around 4:15 a.m. Friday in the 5800 block of Manchester Avenue, the LAPD reported. When they got to the location, a cab driver told them the suspect had threatened him with a gun.
The driver then directed officers to Hearn, who was seated inside a parked vehicle, according to a police statement.
“Officers ordered Hearn to exit the vehicle and surrender; however, he refused and drove away,” according to the statement “Officers followed Hearn and activated their emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop.”
The pursuit continued onto the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway and as the suspect’s vehicle approached the Howard Hughes Parkway overpass, Hearn stopped the vehicle and allegedly fired one round from the driver’s side window.
He resumed driving, continuing northbound until he stopped south of Jefferson Boulevard. Hearn then exited the vehicle and faced officers, who gave numerous commands to drop the weapon, police said. He refused and a shooting occurred. Paramedics rushed Hearn to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
“At the scene, a loaded 9mm semi-automatic Polymer80 handgun, commonly referred to as a `ghost gun,’ was recovered and booked as evidence,” according to the police statement. “No officers or community members were injured during the incident.”