An alleged domestic violence suspect who led police on a chase from San Pedro to the West Adams area, where he engaged in a gun battle with officers, died Wednesday from his injuries.
Aundre Jones, 37, had been hospitalized after the shooting that occurred early Tuesday afternoon in the 3000 block of West Boulevard, but he was pronounced dead on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Police said officers initially responded at about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday to the area of South Gaffey and West 19th streets in response to a call from a DASH bus driver about a domestic violence suspect following her bus in a white Maserati. The bus driver, who was the alleged victim, told police the suspect was armed.
According to police, the bus driver and Jones previously dated and had a child together.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Responding officers spotted Jones' vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but he sped away, beginning a chase that headed north on the Harbor (110) Freeway, police said.
Officers chased the suspect onto surface streets in the Ladera Heights area and eventually into a residential neighborhood near West and Jefferson boulevards.
The suspect then pulled into a driveway, parked the Maserati behind an apartment building and casually walked back along the driveway toward the street, where police were waiting. Video from the scene showed the suspect then raising both arms, apparently with guns in both hands pointed toward officers, who returned fire, leaving the suspect injured. Police said Jones "fired multiple rounds at the officers."
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Jones was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital, where he died Wednesday.
A female bystander who appeared to be approaching the suspect from the apartment building when the shooting broke out was later treated by paramedics on the scene for what officers called a gunshot wound to an arm. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said that person was taken to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.
Some media reports indicated the injured woman was the suspect's mother.
Two other females were also detained at the scene, although their involvement was unclear.
According to the LAPD, two 9mm semi-automatic handguns were recovered next to Jones at the shooting scene.
McDonnell said no officers were injured, and it was unclear exactly how many of them opened fire or how many shots were fired in total.
"It was very quick. It was something that -- thank God no officers were injured during this -- but this kind of shows just what our officers are facing our there every day, confronting a suspect who's going to do what they gotta do to try to get away," McDonnell said.
A woman who lives in the apartment building where the shooting occurred told reporters the suspect's parents live at the location and the suspect has been there before.
"I just know them in passing, and it's just a simple 'hello,' and he's always been kind," the woman said. "And his parents are kind. I've never seen any (arguments), hollering, screaming, anything. Of course, that's his mom's house, so I don't know if he would have done anything somewhere else. But as far as when I see him, he's always nice. They always speak. And this is just horrible."
