A man allegedly stole a Los Angeles Police Department patrol vehicle early Sunday with an officer still inside, and crashed into multiple vehicles during a brief chase.
An LAPD officer was patrolling in the area of 12th Street and Figueroa Street near the infamous "Graffiti Towers," an abandoned construction site, when she was approached by the suspect at around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. The suspect jumped in her patrol vehicle and sped away while she was still inside.
At some point, the officer was ejected from the vehicle. It remains unclear whether she was fully inside the vehicle or holding onto it as it was stolen.
"We're gonna interview that officer and we're gonna look at surveillance video in the area to determine exactly where and what distance that happened," LAPD Detective Bruce Borihanah told KCAL.
A chaotic and violent situation unfolded in Los Angeles Sunday morning when a man stole an LAPD patrol vehicle with the officer still inside before causing a multi-vehicle pileup. https://t.co/wedpmqY7R7 pic.twitter.com/xUMGFVmsrg
— WTNH News 8 (@WTNH) May 20, 2024
The officer was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and was said to be in stable condition.
The suspect continued driving the patrol vehicle, crashing into multiple vehicles in the area of 8th Street and Figueroa Street, including a van that had people inside. Multiple people from the van were treated at the scene before they were taken to the hospital.
The suspect ultimately crashed into a pole on 7th Street and fled on foot. He was arrested a short time later.
Police have not identified the suspect, or revealed what charges he may be facing.
--with reporting by TMX
