West Covina police gave chase suspect a ride before pursuit, shooting

GLENDALE >> A man who was fatally shot by West Covina police after leading officers in a high-speed chase in a stolen police car was given a ride in the vehicle following a welfare check, authorities said Monday.

Around 8:40 p.m. Sunday, West Covina officers responded to a call for service in the 200 block of Barranca Street where they encountered the suspect, described as a white male in his mid-40s, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Bill Cotter.

Cotter said the call was initially made to the Glendale Police Department and transferred to West Covina. After resolving the call, which Cotter described as a welfare check, the man asked for a ride across town.

“Apparently trying to do the right thing, one of the officers gave him a ride to a location on the West Covina-Covina border,” Cotter said.

But once the officer let the man out of the car, he jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off.

In a drama broadcast by television helicopters, officers pursued the stolen cruiser with its lights flashing at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour until a police SUV crashed into its driver’s side door to bring it to a halt at about 10:30 p.m. in the 100 block of South Glendale Avenue, just south of Broadway, in Glendale. A shooting occurred and the suspect was struck by gunfire. He was pronounced dead at the scene, sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.

No officers were hurt in the incident.

Cotter said he did not know if the suspect was armed at the time of the shooting.

Further details were not immediately available.

xadStaff writer Stephanie K. Baer and City News Service contributed to this report.