LAPD pursuit ends with shootout in Boyle Heights neighborhood

A pursuit in Boyle Heights ended in a shootout that wounded an officer from the Los Angeles Police Department and left the suspect in critical condition on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the LAPD, the pursuit began at about 1:47 p.m. in South LA. Aerial images at 2:04 p.m. showed the driver of a possibly stolen blue pick-up truck driving recklessly in Boyle Heights. The driver, whose identity was unknown, often drove on the wrong side of the road and at high speeds.

At about 2:05 p.m., the driver crashed into a fence next to a nearby freeway before ditching the truck. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the suspect started firing at officers as he tried to run away from the scene.

"As he was running, he was firing on the officers," McDonnell said. "One officer was struck in the chest at least once."

McDonnell said the officer's ballistic vest caught the round and "saved his life." The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to LAPD.

"It looks at this point that he's going to be OK," McDonnell said. 

Other officers opened fire and struck the man. Investigators recovered the suspect's handgun at the scene. 

As of 2:15 p.m., the man appeared to be responsive and was taken away in an ambulance. McDonnell said the suspect was in critical condition and in surgery.