A carjacking suspect was dead and an alleged accomplice was in jail following a vehicle pursuit and two deputy-involved shootings early Thursday in Compton, authorities said.
The first shooting, in which no one was injured, happened about 2:30 a.m. near West 133rd Street and North Slater Avenue.
The fatal shooting occurred about 5:30 a.m. a few blocks away near West 133rd Street and North Slater, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The suspect — who was in his 20s, according to the coroner's office — was pronounced dead at the scene.
Questions remained at the scene of the investigation, including whether the man who was shot was armed or even involved in the pursuit.
"It appears that he was in the car, but I can't say for sure yet because we still don't know, we haven't talked to everybody," said sheriff's Lt. John Corina said. "He matched the description of one of the car-jacking suspects. He was uncooperative with the officers when they first met him.
No weapons were recovered, but a search involving police dogs continued into the afternoon.
Investigators worked this afternoon to piece together the chain of events, which began when Compton Station deputies patrolling on Alameda Street stopped a motorist for a traffic violation.
A check of the vehicle's license plate indicated the vehicle had been stolen, Deputy Guillermina Saldana of the Sheriff's Information Bureau said.
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"While the deputies called for back-up, the vehicle drove off and deputies went into pursuit," Saldana said.
During the car chase, shots were fired at deputies, striking their patrol vehicle, she said.
The car crashed into a curb and a suspect got out with a gun in his hand and pointed it at deputies, prompting at least one deputy to open fire, Saldana said.
The suspect ran through the neighborhood, but was later taken into custody in the 2000 block of Slater Avenue during a house-to-house search by Sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau personnel.
"A second suspect was located a short distance away hiding in a yard of a residence in the 800 block of Stockwell Street and refused to obey Special Enforcement Bureau commands to surrender," according to Saldana. "During this time the suspect charged at the deputies and believing he was armed a deputy-involved shooting occurred."
The stolen car had been taken earlier in an armed carjacking in South Los Angeles, Saldana said.
"Both suspects, the arrestee and the deceased, matched the description of the suspects of the carjacking," Saldana said.
