Torrance officer crashes into pursuit driver, knocking car into nearby pedestrian
A woman was hospitalized after a dramatic pursuit on Thursday when a pursuing Torrance police car struck an alleged carjacking suspect, spinning the vehicle into a pedestrian walking through a crosswalk, authorities said on Friday.
The collision was caught on video by TV helicopters that showed the suspect’s vehicle, a Toyota Prius, slowing down in an intersection after a high-speed chase. The driver had opened his door when a police SUV in pursuit struck the vehicle, sending it spinning toward the crosswalk where it hit the pedestrian, violently knocking her toward the sidewalk.
A woman was hit by a pursuit driver during the end of a chase in Carson.https://t.co/p4nh2id4yI pic.twitter.com/qrzD64aoDe
— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) January 12, 2024
The Torrance Police department said on Friday that it has not identified the specific kind of maneuver used to disable the Prius and did not say if the maneuver was intentional or approved prior to the collision. For most departments, any kind of intervention technique must be approved by a supervisor and officers who pursue suspects must be certified to engage in intervention tactics.
Craig McLaren, a 30-year LAPD veteran who now works as an expert witness, explained that the decision to engage in a pursuit involves several factors, such as the kind of crime committed and a general danger to the public.
“If there’s a carjacking, or anything involving a gun, those pursuits are justified, and PIT maneuvers are also justified with some caveats,” McLaren said. “The thing is, if there’s a violent crime involved, he is perceived as a threat, and officers will almost never go into tracking mode.”
On Jan. 11 at around 12:50 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department notified the Torrance Police Department that they were in pursuit of a male carjacking suspect who had stolen several cars.
LASD pursued the suspect into Torrance, where he entered a parking structure at the Del Amo Fashion Center. At 12:55 p.m., a woman reported a carjacking near the area where the suspect was last seen, authorities said in the statement.
Torrance PD officers then located the suspect driving another carjacked vehicle, a silver Toyota Prius, as it left the mall.
According to the department, the seriousness of the crimes — two carjackings and one stolen vehicle, and an ongoing threat to the public — compelled Torrance PD to take over the pursuit.
As seen on video, the suspect swerved in and out of traffic at high speeds during the pursuit, often going onto sidewalks and striking objects blocking his path.
After the collision, the suspect ran from the scene, but officers arrested him shortly after and released him to LASD deputies.
Torrance PD officers contacted the victim of the carjacking, and the pedestrian hit by the Prius. The pedestrian refused treatment at the scene, but later transported herself to a hospital. The extent of her injuries are unclear.
The pursuit will be investigated by the department, according to a spokesperson. The carjackings are under investigation as well.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Torrance PD.