LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot a suspect in the leg after he led them on a pursuit and fired at officers and a police helicopter before running across a freeway, authorities said Friday.
The suspect, who was not identified, was in stable condition with a single gunshot wound, according to the Sheriff’s Department. The suspect’s passenger was also taken into custody.
A deputy who chased the driver on foot across the Interstate 5 freeway was struck by another vehicle, the department said in a statement. The deputy was in good condition.
The incident began when deputies suspected the driver was operating the vehicle under the influence but he drove away, authorities said.
The driver crashed the vehicle through a number of gates and fences and then fired at deputies, , officials said.
Shots were also fired at a sheriff’s helicopter overhead, authorities said. The driver lost control after deputies put spike strips on the roadway.
The driver got out with a semi-automatic pistol and at least one deputy fired, striking him once in the leg, the sheriff’s department said. The suspect dropped the gun, ran down an embankment and tried to cross the freeway.
The suspect was hit by a vehicle and deputies arrested him, the statement said.
Authorities found a second handgun in the vehicle.
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