A woman who was shot and killed by police in Torrance after she steered her car at officers at the end of a chase was from San Diego, authorities said Tuesday.
The shooting occurred about 2:35 p.m. Monday outside a gas station at Cabrillo Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, according to Torrance police Sgt. Paul Kranke.
Michelle Lee Shirley, 39, died at a hospital a short time later, Kranke said. He said police received multiple calls about 2:30 p.m. about a reckless, possibly intoxicated driver in the area of Arlington and Post avenues.
Officers saw the car, already with collision damage and airbags deployed, being driven erratically, on the wrong side of the street, and nearly hitting several other vehicles, Kranke said.
A traffic stop was attempted, but the driver didn't yield, Kranke said.
An officer executed a PIT maneuver, which initially stopped the four-door sedan, he said.
As officers, some of them out of their squad cars, approached the vehicle, the woman allegedly drove at them, forcing them to jump out of the way, and rammed one of the cruisers. At that point, at least two officers fired on the woman, police said.
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Officers administered CPR until firefighters took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Kranke said.
One officer sustained moderate injuries when the suspect rammed his squad car as he was getting out of the vehicle, Kranke said.
