Two people are in custody Tuesday night after they were involved in a police chase through Compton while one of them allegedly fired what appeared to be an AK-47 assault rifle at pursuing deputies, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies heard shots from what sounded like an assault rifle at about 5:45 p.m. near Long Beach Boulevard and Oaks Street in Compton on the Lynwood border.
As deputies drove toward the sound, they spotted the suspected shooters and a car chase ensued. During the pursuit, a passenger fired an AK-47 assault rifle (pictured below) at the deputies, according to Capt. Mike Parker with LASD.
The car stopped about a half mile away at Santa Fe Avenue and Pine Street, where the passenger jumped out and fled on foot, Parker said. Deputies continued chasing the car, which crashed at Alameda and Pine streets, about a mile away from where the passenger bailed.
The driver was arrested at the scene of the crash and the shooter was caught in a containment area, Parker said. An AK-47 suspected of being the one used in the chase was recovered.
As many as two people may have been hit by gunfire and transported to the hospital in unknown condition, Parker said. No deputies were injured.
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Parker said the weapon allegedly used in the chase is meant for the battlefield, not the streets of Los Angeles.
"AK-47s are made to kill people," he said.
"Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have had AK-47s fired at us and other local law enforcement," he added. "We recover assault weapons on a somewhat routine basis, especially from gang members."
