A suspect accused of intentionally ramming into a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department vehicle while performing dangerous stunts near a Bell Gardens casino was shot and wounded by a deputy early Thursday, officials said.
The shooting was reported just after 4:30 a.m. near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and East Florence Avenue near the Parkwest Bicycle Casino.
A preliminary investigation indicated that a deputy in the area spotted the driver of a white utility vehicle speeding and doing donuts, officials said in an updated news release.
As the deputy entered the intersection to warn other drivers of the potential danger and to try and stop the speeding motorist, the suspect allegedly rammed into the deputy’s patrol vehicle, officials said.
Video shared with KTLA shows the suspect reverse and ram the patrol SUV twice more before the deputy opened fire. When the suspect rams the vehicle a fourth time, the deputy fires more rounds, the video shows.
The driver eventually reversed and drove further away from the deputy’s SUV as more shots are fired.
The suspect was struck by gunfire and eventually taken into custody, officials said.
The suspect, described only as a Hispanic male, was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds but is in stable condition after undergoing surgery.
It was unclear if the suspect opened fire during the incident.
The deputy was also taken to a hospital with injuries from the crash and was released after treatment on Thursday afternoon.
Sky5 video showed the damaged patrol SUV that ended up on a sidewalk.
A white four-door SUV with front-end damage could also be seen in the street. The front windshield appeared to have been riddled with bullet holes.