LAPD identifies suspect killed after 405 Freeway pursuit turned shooting
Los Angeles Police Department officers have identified the suspect who was killed after a pursuit turned into a deadly shooting involving police on the 405 Freeway in Westchester on Friday morning.
In a news release shared Saturday, police said that they were called to the 5000 block of W. Manchester Boulevard at around 4:15 a.m. for reports of a robbery in the area. The caller said that the victim of the robbery was following the suspect, who allegedly threatened to kill the victim. Upon arrival, officers found the suspect, Thomas Hearn, sitting in a parked vehicle.
"Officers ordered Hearn to exit the vehicle and surrender; however, he refused and drove away," the release said. "Officers followed Hearn and activated their emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop. When Hearn failed to yield, officers initiated a vehicle pursuit."
The chase continued onto the northbound 405 Freeway, where officers claim Hearn fired a shot from a firearm from the driver's side window as he approached the Howard Hughes Parkway overpass. Police say that Hearn continued to drive until stopping in the middle of the freeway just south of the Jefferson Boulevard offramp.
"Hearn exited his vehicle while armed with a black handgun and faced the pursuing officers," police said.
Despite being told "numerous" times to drop the weapon, officers said that he refused to comply and they opened fire. Hearn was struck by gunfire, which caused him to fall to the ground and drop the gun. He was pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department personnel, police said.
"At the scene, a loaded 9mm semi-automatic Polymer80 handgun, commonly referred to as a 'ghost gun,' was recovered and booked as evidence," the release said.
No other injuries were reported in the incident, but the ensuing investigation caused an hours-long closure of the entire northbound side of the freeway until just before 12:40 p.m.
