A man in his 30s who crashed a van into two vehicles and then opened fire on police who had been following him was critically wounded in an officer-involved shooting in Wilmington.
No officers were injured as a result of the shooting, which occurred about 3:25 p.m.Friday in the area of Opp Street and Fries Avenue, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison said.
A bystander in a second-floor apartment was also struck with a bullet and sustained a non-life-threatening injury, Madison said.
That person, whose age and gender were not immediately available, was taken to a hospital, Madison said.
Officers from the LAPD’s Harbor Division were working a gang detail when they saw a white van being driven erratically in the area of Anaheim and Ronan streets, Madison said.
[symple_googlemap title=”Man Crashes Van” location=”Opp Street and Fries Avenue, Los Angeles, CA” height=”300″ zoom=”14″]
The officers got behind the suspect’s vehicle, which sped up in the area of Opp Street and Fries Avenue and struck two vehicles, coming to a stop after hitting the second. The suspect then got out of the van and allegedly opened fire on the officers, Madison said.
An officer-involved shooting occurred and the suspect was hit and went down. He was in critical condition when taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery.
An update on his condition was not immediately available, Madison said.
None of the other drivers were injured, according to Madison, who said a handgun was recovered at the scene.
Part of the shooting investigation would involve determining who fired the shot that hit the bystander, Madison said.
This is the fourth time in a month LAPD officers were shot at or where a weapon was pointed at them, police reported.
— City News Service