A 25-year-old female sheriff’s deputy was struck by a vehicle in Paramount and hospitalized Monday evening in critical condition and a suspected drunken driver was taken into custody.
The Lakewood Station deputy had responded to a call of a person acting erratically about 5:30 p.m. in the area of Downey Avenue and Alondra Boulevard, but the suspect attacked her before she could get out her vehicle, punching her through the window of her cruiser, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a news conference Monday evening.
As the deputy chased the suspect through a parking lot, she was struck by a Chevrolet Suburban. The driver left the scene but was apprehended a short distance away in the area of Indiana Avenue and Jackson Street, the sheriff’s department said.
The deputy was taken to a hospital, where she was listed in critical condition with major injuries.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the deputy was not involved in the original call for service. He was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, according to the sheriff’s department.
The suspect from the original call was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.