PACOIMA (CNS) - A Los Angeles Police Department pursuit today ended in the Pacoima area with a shooting that left a motorist, who was allegedly armed with a handgun, dead.
The chase ended about 10 a.m. at the Terra Bella Street offramp from the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
LAPD Lt. Raul Jovel told reporters near the shooting scene that the pursuit began on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, where officers spotted a blue Honda.
"They saw the driver commit a traffic violation," Jovel said. "They tried to pull the vehicle over. The driver fled, resulting in a short vehicle pursuit. The pursuit entered the northbound 5 Freeway, where the driver exited here on the offramp to Terra Bella.
"The driver lost control of the vehicle here," Jovel said. "As soon as the car came to rest, the driver exited the car armed with a handgun, resulting in an officer-involved shooting."
At least one officer fired, wounding the suspect, and officers recovered a handgun from the scene, the LAPD reported.
Paramedics took a person to a hospital where they later died, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. According to the LAPD, the deceased is a male, whose age and name were not immediately available.
The offramp was closed while an investigation was conducted into the circumstances of the shooting.