Cuffed man briefly eludes capture

Tim Willert

A man who broke free from police custody and drove away in a patrol

car was shot during a confrontation with officers early Friday

morning, authorities said.

The unidentified man, a woman and another man were in a car that

Burbank police officers stopped near the Burbank-Toluca Lake border

about 2:40 a.m., Sgt. Will Berry said.

Both men were placed in handcuffs, but one of them got loose and

drove off in a police car, Berry said.

“I don’t know if he slipped out of them, if they weren’t put on

properly or if he broke them,” Berry said.

An unidentified officer struggled with the suspect in the front

seat, but was thrown from the vehicle. During the confrontation,

police fired two shots at the suspect, Berry said.

The man drove two blocks before abandoning the car and running

into a residential area. Burbank and Los Angeles police established a

perimeter, and found the wounded man hiding near a residence about

three hours later, police said.

He was hospitalized for treatment of a gunshot wound to the chest,

which police said was not life-threatening.

The other man and woman ran off, and were still at large late

Friday, Berry said.

The name of the suspect taken into custody about 6 a.m. in the

4800 block of Arcola Avenue was not immediately released, Berry said.

“We’re not releasing the name of the person in custody until we

apprehend the others,” he said.

The Los Angeles Police Department is conducting the investigation

because the incident occurred within its jurisdiction.