A 25-year-old Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy was in critical condition early Tuesday after she was struck by a DUI suspect as she tried to chase down a person wanted in an unrelated assault case.
The deputy was struck by the sport utility vehicle in Paramount parking lot. The suspected drunken driver and the assault suspect were in 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 night.
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 SUV that struck the deputy was not involved in the original call. 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.
