A man who allegedly rammed a sheriff’s deputy with his car was wounded in a deputy-involved shooting that occurred at the end of a brief chase in the unincorporated Lennox area of Los Angeles County, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 1:15 a.m. near the intersection of Lennox Boulevard and Firmona Avenue, according to the sheriff’s department.
Deputies from the South Los Angeles Station stopped a Honda Accord in the 4800 block of 119th Place and approached the driver and sole occupant of the sedan. The driver appeared to be incoherent and at some point during the encounter, he turned off the vehicle’s ignition, the sheriff’s department reported.
” At a certain point during the same traffic stop, the suspect turned the vehicle back on as the deputies noticed a firearm in the vehicle,” according to a sheriff’s statement. “The suspect placed his vehicle in reverse, drove backwards and struck one of the deputies,” who sustained a minor injury to his left leg.
The suspect, who was not immediately identified, took off in his car, and deputies gave chase.
During the pursuit, which lasted about a minute, the suspect hit an unoccupied vehicle that had been stopped by the California Highway Patrol on Inglewood Avenue at 111th Street, authorities said.
The pursuit ended when the suspect’s vehicle smashed into a pole and fence, according to the sheriff’s department. “Deputies attempted to make contact with the suspect, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
The suspect was hit at least twice, in the left leg and upper body, and was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, officials said.
A firearm was recovered from the vehicle.