Police Kill Suspect in Scuffle; Man Wounded in 2nd Incident

Los Angeles police officers shot two men--fatally wounding one--in separate incidents Sunday, investigators said.

On the Eastside, a 27-year-old man driving a stolen car was accidentally shot and killed Sunday afternoon by an officer who had stopped the man for a traffic violation, police said.

When Officer Wayne Valdez tried to handcuff the suspect, the man attempted to throw Valdez to the ground, police said. Valdez’s gun discharged a round that hit the man in the back of the head.

In the second incident, a police chase Sunday evening by Foothill division officers ended in a crash at a Van Nuys intersection, where police shot one man. He was hospitalized in critical condition, according to police and Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells. At least one other person was also hospitalized, but no details were available.

No officers were hurt in either incident.

The fatal shooting on the Eastside began when the suspect, whose name was not released, crashed a Volkswagen Jetta after he was flagged down for a traffic violation by Valdez, who did not know that the car had been reported stolen, police said.

After a brief chase, Valdez had his gun drawn and was trying to handcuff the suspect when the man bent forward and tried to flip Valdez to the ground, investigators said.