A 15-year-old suspect was critically injured in an exchange of gunfire with police that also included a vehicle chase that ended in Compton with the arrest of the wounded teen and two other people, authorities said Sunday.
Shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday, gang enforcement officers observed two vandalism suspects near the corner of 92nd Street and Hooper Avenue in the Florence-Graham area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
“While patrolling, they observed a male vandalism suspect spray painting a wall on the southeast corner of the intersection,” police said in a statement. “In response, the officers stopped their police vehicle to investigate. Immediately thereafter, a second male suspect, who was standing adjacent to the first, produced a handgun and fired at the officers.”
Two officers exited their vehicle and returned fire. Both suspects entered an awaiting vehicle and sped away, prompting a pursuit. The chase ended when the suspects’ vehicle was stopped in the city of Compton, where the driver — identified as Kevin Diaz, 20 — and two 15-year-old juveniles were taken into custody without further incident.
Officers noticed that one of the suspect — a 15-year-old boy — was wounded. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Diaz and the other juvenile were not injured.
Police said a loaded .45 caliber handgun, with no identifiable markings, and a shotgun shell casing were recovered from inside the suspects’ vehicle.
No other injuries were reported.