Officer Wounds Motorist After Chase

A Los Angeles police officer shot and wounded a motorist who led police on a wild car chase Wednesday in Panorama City, his vehicle striking two parked cars, crashing into trash cans and barreling through several front yards, authorities said.

Officer Michael Alexander, 31, fired his .38-caliber service revolver at Joseph Wells, 26, because he thought that Wells was pointing a gun at him, said Lt. William Hall of the Police Department’s officer-involved shooting team.

No weapon was found in Wells’ car, Hall said.

Wells was treated at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Panorama City for a gunshot wound to his left forearm and was released to police custody, Hall said. He was being held at Van Nuys Jail on suspicion of felony evading arrest.

The chase began when Alexander and his partner saw Wells make an erratic turn on Van Nuys Boulevard, Hall said. Alexander thought that Wells was drunk and attempted to pull him over, but Wells sped off and the officers gave chase.

During the chase, Wells’ Pontiac Firebird struck two parked cars and drove over street curbs and through front yards, knocking over trash cans, Hall said. At one point, the car lost both rear tires but Wells continued driving on the wheel rims, Hall said. The car’s rear window was shattered and both doors were so badly damaged that they couldn’t be opened, Hall said.

Wells lost control in the 14300 block of Parthenia Street and struck the fender of a private security patrol car that had joined the chase, Hall said.

Hall said that as Wells emerged from the car, he appeared to reach into the glove compartment and suddenly appeared between the two front seats, facing the back of the car, and raised his arms.

Believing that Wells was armed and preparing to shoot, Alexander shot him, Hall said.