Carjacking leads to standoff and suspect’s death

EAST LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies are still investigating the sequence of events that left one carjacking suspect dead after multiple officer involved shootings. The 35-year-old Hispanic male suspect, later identified as Edward Ramirez of Los Angeles, led officers on a high speed chase before being fatally shot at an apartment he had holed himself up in.

According to a LASD press release, deputies had responded to the 300 block of Wood Avenue in East Los Angeles earlier that night after a man reported being carjacked at gunpoint. Officers were eventually able to locate the stolen car entering the westbound 60 freeway. After the suspect exited the freeway, a vehicle pursuit began as the suspect failed to pull over after officers attempted to make a traffic stop.

Progress Place in Boyle Heights was the scene of the shootout and SWAT team activity

As the pursuit continued over the surface streets of Los Angeles, a deputy tried to set spike strips only to have the suspect attempt to hit the officer with the vehicle. While the officer escaped unscathed, the pursuit continued until the 500 block of Progress Place. At that point, the suspect exited the car on foot and jumped over a chain link fence. After clearing the fence, the suspect pulled out a gun and exchanged fire with deputies, with neither side getting hit.

The foot pursuit continued until the suspect forced his way into an occupied apartment at a nearby complex, prompting the residents to retreat to the bathroom. As a K-9 Unit searched for the suspect within the complex, the suspect shot at the officer and his dog from an apartment window. Neither of them were hurt.

After surrounding the apartment, the LASD established communication with the suspect through a crisis negotiator from the Special Enforcement Bureau. Additionally, several announcements were made for the suspect to surrender peacefully, to which he did not reply.

The other occupants of the apartment were rescued through the bathroom window, and the neighboring tenants were evacuated before the LASD introduced tear gas to force him to leave the apartment. The suspect emerged three more times, exchanging gunfire with deputies each time. During the last incident, the suspect was struck multiple times by the officers’ gunfire. Despite treatment from paramedics, Ramirez was pronounced dead at the scene.

After his death, police found a loaded .38 revolver on the suspect. Despite being shot at multiple times, no officers were harmed during any of the shootings. The LASD did not immediately comment on the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

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