LAPD officers shoot at armed suspect after South Los Angeles pursuit

Los Angeles police officers opened fire on 21-year-old DeAndre Thompson during a vehicle pursuit in South Los Angeles on Friday night. The incident began when patrol officers spotted a man in a black ski mask holding a rifle near Century and Avalon boulevards. Thompson entered a white BMW sedan, leading to a pursuit that ended on 96th Street.

As Thompson attempted to exit the vehicle while armed, an officer-involved shooting occurred. Thompson was not struck by gunfire. During the encounter, he discarded two rifles and a handgun onto the roadway, which were later recovered by authorities.

Police arrested Thompson and another passenger at the scene. Two additional suspects who fled on foot were later apprehended with the help of SWAT and K-9 units. Two officers sustained minor injuries in a traffic collision during the response and were treated and released. Thompson faces suspicion of assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm, while other suspects were booked for felony possession of a firearm and resisting an officer.