An investigation was underway Wednesday after a carjacking suspect allegedly attempted to intentionally run over pedestrians before and during an hour-long pursuit with police officers.
Officers initially responded at approximately 6:57 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a felony hit-and-run collision, Culver City Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Atenza told City News Service.
According to Atenza, the vehicle was believed to have been involved in a carjacking in Los Angeles, and one of the victims managed to report the license plate number to officers.
“Our officers put the plate into our camera system, and then simultaneously, they were getting calls from multiple vehicle versus pedestrian incidents involving the same vehicle. Our officers tracked down the vehicle,” Atenza said.
That’s when the pursuit began, with the suspect driving recklessly in Culver City, striking multiple pedestrians, she said, adding that at least four scenes were being investigated.
The chase continued into Los Angeles, ending near Washington Boulevard and Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles when the suspect crashed into another vehicle.
According to Atenza, a Culver City police officer pursuing the suspect also crashed into the vehicle, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Following the collision, the suspect attempted to run away but was ultimately captured and taken into custody.
The suspect apparently sustained injuries during the pursuit and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
At least four pedestrians were struck, but none sustained any life-threatening injuries.
“We’re working to get updates for all of them, but we’re finding out more and more incident locations of vehicles that were struck,” Atenza said.
Details about the carjacking and what motivated the suspect to target pedestrians remain limited, but according to Atenza he was booked on suspicion of carjacking and attempted murder.
His name has not been released.