1 Suspect Killed, 1 Wounded, Bystander Hurt in Police Chase

Inglewood police officers fatally shot one man and wounded another Thursday night while chasing the two after getting a tip that their car might contain rock cocaine, police said. A bystander was wounded.

Police officers received a phone tip about 8 p.m. Thursday about a gray Datsun 280Z parked at a hotel near West Century Boulevard and Prairie Avenue.

Two men got into the car and drove down Century Boulevard. Officers tried to stop the men for a traffic violation, but the driver did not pull over so police pursued, said Inglewood police Sgt. Larry Kirkley.

A chase down Century Boulevard went on for about a mile when the car pulled over. The passenger, Shelly Garrett, 27, of Inglewood, got out and reportedly started firing at officers. Four officers returned the fire, shooting Garrett in several places. He died of a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

The driver, James Metoya, 43, also of Inglewood, was shot in the shoulder. He was treated at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center. Metoya was charged with evading police officers, Kirkley said.

A bystander, Cheney Armstrong, 25, standing 180 feet away, was hit in the leg and foot by ricocheting bullets.