Armed chase suspect wanted for domestic violence shot by police in El Monte

EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) -- An armed domestic violence suspect who led officers on a chase was shot by police in El Monte on Friday.

The pursuit began at around 1:30 a.m. near 94th Street and Central Avenue in southeast Los Angeles. The suspect was wanted for felony domestic violence, but details of the initial incident were not immediately available.

The suspect, who was driving a white minivan, evaded police for over an hour.

At Cogswell Road and Elliot Avenue in El Monte, the suspect got out of his vehicle and officers fired their weapons. The suspect took off again, and officers used a spike strip that disabled the vehicle on Valley Boulevard.

"Officers described flames from underneath the vehicle and the suspect exited, holding a blanket covering his body," said LAPD Lt. John Jenal.

Authorities said officers initially deployed bean bags until the suspect dropped the blanket and revealed a weapon. That's when officers had no choice but to draw their weapons.

"We tried to show great restraint. The officers tried to use the cover of police cars to minimize the risk to themselves and utilize all the tools available to them," Jenal said.

Video captured of the suspect clearly shows he was armed with a handgun. He flashed his weapon several times during the chase, but it's not clear if he fired his weapon at police.

At one point, the suspect even communicated with freelance news photographers at the scene.

The suspect was placed in an ambulance and transported from the scene. He was said to be in critical condition. He was later identified by neighbors as Raul Martinez.

Bullets from the shooting became lodged in some businesses along Valley Boulevard, which was closed for blocks for police investigation.

No officers were injured in the incident.