Officers Critically Shoot Woman After Police Car Is Rammed

Cypress police officers shot and critically wounded a woman who allegedly rammed a stolen vehicle into an unmarked police car in a strip mall parking lot Friday.

Sgt. John Avila said police were called about 10:30 a.m. and told that a vehicle reported stolen was en route from Riverside County.

Officers went to a strip mall parking lot at Ball Road and Moody Street to search for the white Chevrolet van, but left after finding nothing, Avila said.

About 11 a.m., police again received information that the van was in the area. An unmarked police car located the van parked in front of a liquor store near Ball and Moody. Additional units were called to seal off the area.

When the unidentified suspect entered the van to leave the parking lot, police cars moved in to make an arrest, Avila said. The driver allegedly drove the vehicle in reverse, ramming into the front of the unmarked car blocking the van’s exit.

“The driver wouldn’t stop accelerating backwards,” Avila said.

Officers then fired on the woman while she was in the van, he said. She was shot an unknown number of times.

The woman was taken into custody and treated by paramedics before being transported to Los Alamitos Medical Center, Avila said. She is listed in grave condition and is on a respirator, he said.

No officers were injured.