Officers Kill Car Theft Suspect After Chase and Confrontation

Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a suspected car thief Thursday after chasing him through Koreatown streets and into an underground garage, investigators said.

The suspect, whose identity was withheld pending notification of relatives, stopped his car several times during the chase and rammed two police cars, officers said.

Authorities said the incident began at 3:50 a.m. when officers Robert Reynolds, 30, and Mark Richardson, 27, saw a man get into a stolen Toyota Tercel near 12th and Lake streets.

Police officials said the incident occurred as follows:

The driver pulled away from the curb, rammed the driver’s side door of the patrol car and drove away. Reynolds and Richardson chased him to the 3400 block of West Olympic Boulevard, where he drove into the Rotec Plaza Hotel’s underground parking garage.

Once in the garage, the suspect turned his car and rammed the patrol car, disabling it.

The officers then began running after the Toyota when the suspect began backing the car in their direction. Reynolds, fearing he would be run over, fired several shots.

Meanwhile, Officers Victoria Shroyer, 27, and Maria Granados, 28, arrived at the scene and parked their patrol car at the top of the ramp leading into the garage. The suspect then drove toward them, forcing the officers to jump out of their car and take cover when they realized that he intended to ram the vehicle.

Reynolds fired several more shots as the suspect drove up the ramp and into the second patrol car. As Reynolds and Richardson ran up the ramp after the car, the suspect again began backing his car toward them.

Richardson then fired several shots, and the Toyota veered into a wall.

Paramedics pronounced the suspect dead at the scene from several gunshot wounds to the back, head and neck, investigators said.

Reynolds was released from Good Samaritan Hospital after treatment for pain to his neck and shoulder resulting from one of the collisions, police said. No one else was injured during the incident.