LOS ANGELES – A pursuit of an armed carjacking suspect that wound through the crowded streets of Hollywood ended violently with police shooting and killing the man at a gas station in Koreatown, just feet from a bystander who was pumping gas.
Officers recovered a gun from the vehicle and the suspect, described only as a male in his 20s, died at the scene, Los Angeles police Officer Gregory Baek said.
Police said the suspect carjacked a vehicle in the Lincoln Heights area at about 6:15 p.m. after he had carjacked another vehicle earlier in San Bernardino.
The suspect exited onto Hollywood Boulevard from northbound U.S. Route 101 and continued on surface streets in Hollywood and Hancock Park, eventually heading into Koreatown.
KCAL-TV, which aired much of the pursuit live, showed the suspect momentarily stop in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard. He then continued westbound to the busy intersection of Hollywood and Highland where he was slowed by heavy traffic.
At times the suspect appeared to slow down to talk with people on the sidewalk.
Officers opened fire on the suspect's car shortly after he pulled into the Koreatown gas station and appeared to be waving a gun. The shooting occurred just feet from a man who was pumping gas. The bystander, identified by KCAL/KCBS as Harry Hahn, was not hurt.
"I saw a guy with a gun behind my car and after that the police came," Hahn told KCAL/KCBS. "Police said, `Just go down!"'
At least 10 police cars surrounded the area as dozens of people stood watching nearby.
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