Robbery Suspect Wounded by Police After Crash Ends Car Chase

A robbery suspect was shot and wounded by police Wednesday after a chase in which the stolen car he was driving crashed into a pole near Glendale, Los Angeles police said.

Lt. William Hall said Javier Magana, 24, was shot in the leg about 12:30 a.m. after he ran from the car, which had crashed at Goodwin and Brunswick avenues, and reached into the waistband of his pants.

Hall said two police officers chasing Magana believed he was reaching for a gun and opened fire. Magana was in good condition Wednesday at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he was being held on suspicion of robbery, police said.

Officers on Tuesday saw Magana get into a stolen car believed to have been used in seven recent convenience store robberies, Hall said.

When the officers approached the car, which was parked on Edenhurst Avenue near Los Feliz Boulevard, Magana sped away, police said. The officers chased the car for 10 blocks before it went off the road and crashed, police said.

Hall said Officers Robert Slater, 42, and Michael Hargreaves, 29, shot at Magana. The officers knew the suspect in the robberies had used both a gun and a knife, Hall said. After the shooting, police found only a knife in Magana’s waistband, Hall said.