Los Angeles police shot and killed the driver of a large sport utility vehicle Thursday morning after he led officers on a chase that ended with a brief standoff in the skid row area of downtown Los Angeles.
"We have at least three officers that are in the hospital at this time," said Capt. Blake Chow.
Chow said the officers suffered "unknown injuries."
The chase, which began about 5:45 a.m., ended about 15 minutes later at the corner of Fourth and San Pedro streets.
"During the pursuit, the suspect attempted to run over some of the citizens who were on the sidewalk," Chow said.
During the standoff, the big black SUV was surrounded by about a dozen LAPD cruisers, two of which cornered the vehicle. The SUV's driver kept a foot on the accelerator, which caused the vehicle's wheels to spin in place, producing a cloud of thick white smoke.
At some point during the standoff, police opened fire. Police Sgt. Kelly Arnett said the suspect was killed.
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The man's name was being withheld, pending notification of relatives, said Assistant Chief Ed Winter of the coroner's office.
During the chase, police tried unsuccessfully to cause the SUV to spin out using the PIT maneuver, and the driver used his vehicle to ram police cruisers.
The incident began when police pulled over the SUV near Fifth Street and Central Avenue for a traffic violation. During the
traffic stop, a collision occurred that ripped a door from a patrol car, and an officer was injured.
