An investigation that began as a report of a woman with a gun developed into a pursuit from Van Nuys to Woodland Hills that ended with an officer-involved shooting.
The pursuit began at about 7:45 a.m. Monday in the area of Hart Street and Garland Avenue in Van Nuys, where encountered the woman in a van with bullet holes in its windshield.
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During their interaction, the woman brandished a handgun, pointed it at her own neck, and then drove away, initiating a police chase that ended on a dead-end street in the area of Arcana Road and Marmora Street, where the woman-along with three dogs- barricaded inside the van.
The woman was seen moving in and out of her van, still armed. As SWAT officers were arriving at the scene, a Van Nuys officer fired, striking the woman. She then sought shelter on the front porch of a nearby home.
Following the shooting, SWAT negotiators engaged with the 42-year-old woman for approximately an hour. She eventually surrendered and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition with two gunshot wounds to the abdomen.
Authorities recovered a handgun and a machete that the woman had been armed with.
Two of the dogs are now with animal control officers, while the third remains at large.
It is unclear what exactly led the officer to open fire, but Detective Meghan Aguilar said at this early stage in the investigation, the officers involved have not yet been interviewed, and their bodyworn cameras have not yet been reviewed.
Two separate investigations are underway: one into the initial shooting incident that prompted the police response and another, handled by the Force Investigation Division, into the officer-involved shooting.
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