The chase started after officers spotted a man with a gun in a vehicle near Vernon, police said.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A police pursuit that began near Vernon ended Tuesday in Boyle Heights with an officer hit in his ballistic vest and a suspect shot by officers, authorities said.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the confrontation began when officers saw a man with a gun in a vehicle near Washington Boulevard and Alameda Street. The driver fled, leading officers on a chase that ended about 2.5 miles away near Garnet Street and Marietta Street.
Police said the pickup truck crashed into a curb and brush in the residential neighborhood. The suspect then got out and ran. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the man fired at officers during the foot chase, striking one officer in the chest. The officer’s vest stopped the bullet, and he was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Officers returned fire and hit the suspect, police said. Paramedics treated him at the scene and took him to a hospital in critical condition. McDonnell said the suspect’s actions put officers and people in the neighborhood at serious risk. Police had not released the suspect’s name or confirmed his age, though officials described him as appearing to be in his mid-30s.
Video from the scene showed a handgun on the street and many yellow evidence markers near police vehicles. LAPD images showed a bullet strike to the officer’s vest and damage to a patrol vehicle. Investigators said they were reviewing body-worn camera video and other evidence from the pursuit and shooting.
No other injuries were reported. Police said the suspect was alone in the truck. The department had not announced charges while the suspect remained hospitalized. Detectives stayed in the neighborhood for hours, documenting the crash scene, the firearm and the areas where shots were fired.
The case now moves into the LAPD’s standard review process for shootings involving officers. Investigators will examine the recovered gun, officer video, witness accounts, radio traffic and the path of the chase. Findings from that review are expected to shape any later criminal or administrative decisions.
As of the latest update, the officer was expected to recover and the suspect remained in critical condition. LAPD said the investigation was ongoing.
Author note: Last updated June 11, 2026.