Police Shoot Suspect On Busy LA County Freeway

LOS ANGELES, CA — A police chase ended with gunfire on a busy Los Angeles County freeway Wednesday afternoon.

Los Angeles police officers chasing a driver wanted in connection with a felony opened fire on the suspect near the Central Avenue onramp to the eastbound Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway. The suspect was shot and rushed to a nearby hospital, and the onramp was shut down throughout the afternoon.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the chase began Wednesday afternoon near 113th Street and Compton Avenue. Officers spotted an SUV, ran its plates, and determined the vehicle's owner was wanted in connection with an unspecified felony, according to the LAPD.

Officers began to follow the SUV, but the driver -- realizing he was being followed -- sped away, prompting a short pursuit, Aguilar said.

The driver wound up on the 105 Freeway onramp at Central Avenue, but after going about half-way up the ramp, the motorist turned around and ultimately came to a stop and tried to flee on foot.

During a short foot chase, the suspect allegedly reached into a backpack, prompting an officer -- fearing the person might be retrieving a weapon -- to open fire, striking the suspect, Aguilar said. The suspect was taken to a hospital, but the person's condition was not immediately known.

Though the suspect was initially thought to be "armed and dangerous," investigators retrieved the suspect's backpack and determined there was no weapon inside.

Officers and a police canine were seen searching the brush alongside the offramp for hours after the shooting.

Police did not release further information about the suspect, and it wasn't immediately clear what the suspect was wanted for.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.