Man with hatchet killed after police chase ends near LAX

WESTCHESTER, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man armed with a hatchet was shot and killed by officers after a short chase ended in Westchester just north of Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

The chase began in El Segundo with a report of an assault with a deadly weapon near the area of Imperial Avenue and McCarthy Court.

With assistance from Los Angeles police, the chase led to the north side of LAX, ending about 12:30 p.m. with a PIT maneuver near Manchester Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard.

Video sent to Eyewitness News shows the suspect in a white SUV boxed in by two police cars. Officers have their weapons drawn. The man quickly climbs out the car window and as he steps onto the hood of a police cruiser, officers fire more than half a dozen shots and he drops to the ground.

Up to four officers opened fire, including one sitting in the driver's seat of his cruiser who shot through the windshield.

Police said the unidentified suspect threatened officers while armed with a hatchet. The man was declared dead at the scene.

At a news conference, Lt. Joe Mendoza of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was asked if an officer is under threat while inside a car.

"That would be up to each individual person, of their threat level," Mendoza said, "because the threat that I can perceive is different than what you perceive."

"And definitely, the vehicle is not any area of safety," the lieutenant added. "It's not knife-proof or bulletproof or anything like that."