Youth Wounded in 2nd of Two Police Shootings

In the second of two weekend shootings involving Inglewood police, a Los Angeles teen-ager was wounded Saturday night after he allegedly tried to run down several officers at the end of a three-mile chase, police said.

Cephus Earl Sudduth Jr., 19, is being held at Los Angeles County Jail after being treated at County-USC Medical Center for shotgun pellet wounds in his right side. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, evading arrest, reckless driving and hit-and-run driving.

On Friday, Christopher Garrett Grant, 34, a convicted burglar who had been released from state prison two months ago, was shot and killed by Inglewood police as he attempted to flee in a stolen car, police said.

The actions of the officers in both incidents are under routine investigation, police said.

Grant was stopped after allegedly running a stop sign near Centinela Park. As he drove away, police said, one officer hung onto the side of the car and was dragged for 25 feet before falling off. The officer and his partner both fired at the vehicle, police said, and Grant, who was struck by one bullet, ran a short distance, collapsed and died.

In the Saturday incident, at about 7:30 p.m., officers on Crenshaw Boulevard near 116th Street tried to stop a vehicle that appeared to have been in a traffic accident, police said. Sudduth sped off and was cornered near the Hollywood Park race track at Bartdon and Woodworth avenues.

Sudduth “accelerated towards the officers,” prompting them to fire at him, a police spokesman said. Sudduth was hit and lost control of the car, which crashed into a brick wall, police said.