Man Fleeing in Stolen Car Fatally Shot by Officers

A man driving a stolen car was shot to death early Tuesday morning after he led officers from five police agencies on a wild chase through the South Bay that ended in gunfire on a quiet Redondo Beach street. The dead man was identified as John Paul Read, 35, of Irvine, said sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Robert Stoneman.

The 15-minute chase began about 3 a.m., when Hawthorne officers tried to stop the man for questioning. As the pursuit continued, units from the El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach police departments joined in.

When the man allegedly tried to ram two police cars, officers opened fire, Stoneman said. The car swerved and slammed into the back of a parked car. Investigators would not say whether the man was armed or if any of the shots were fired while he was outside the car.