Police shoot, kill suspect after brief chase ends in crash on 5 Freeway off-ramp in East LA

EAST LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KABC) -- A dangerous police chase ended with an exchange of gunfire on Wednesday morning, leaving one suspect dead and another in the hospital.

The shooting happened on the Olympic Boulevard off-ramp on the southbound 5 Freeway, near Downey Road.

The chase began a few miles away near the Flower and Garment districts in downtown L.A., according to Los Angeles police. Around 9:30 a.m., officers spotted a vehicle that was reported stolen near Towne Avenue and 7th Street. Officers tried to pull the vehicle over, and that's when the chase began.

The deadly police shooting happened just a short time later, when the driver made a U-turn on the off-ramp and slammed into one of the pursuing patrol vehicles, according to LAPD.

"The airbags deployed in the suspect vehicle. The driver of that vehicle got out of the car and fired shots, unknown number, at the officers," LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said. "The officers returned fire. The suspect went down. The second suspect in the passenger seat was still in place."

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger, who survived, was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. AIR7 video showed the man climbing out of the front passenger-side window.

When officers and the driver of the stolen car exchanged gunfire, the freeway was still open, with traffic flowing behind them.

"When there is shots fired, we determine from the public safety statement initially from the officers, the direction of fire, the number of shots, and by getting the direction of fire, we account for each shot. We go to the homes that may have been impacted to make sure there's nobody hurt that needs transportation for medical attention," McDonnell said.

Fortunately, no one else was hurt in the exchange of gunfire. Even though no officers were wounded, McDonnell said a couple of them were taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing.