KOREATOWN (CBS) — The Los Angeles Police Department identified a carjacking suspect Friday who was killed after a police pursuit ended in Koreatown Thursday night.
The suspect was identified as Shonchy Thaopraseuth, 22, of San Bernardino.
Shonchy Thaopraseuth (credit: the Thaopraseuth family)
LAPD officers fired more than 20 shots at Thaopraseuth, who led them to a Shell gas station near Wilshire and Vermont after he allegedly carjacked two vehicles.
The first vehicle , which was taken in San Bernardino at a gas station, ran out of fuel, which prompted the suspect to steal a Saturn in Lincoln Heights.
He then drove erratically from the 60 Freeway through downtown Los Angeles and onto the 101 Freeway.
At one point, he turned left at Highland, where Oscar preparations have streets blocked. Tourists along Hollywood Boulevard even snapped photos of him as he slowed for photo-ops.
Thaopraseuth then waved his gun in the air and led a long line of police patrol cars to the gas station, where Harry Hahn was filling up his car.
“My face was on the ground, that’s why I didn’t say anything. Then after two minutes, “Bang, bang bang bang!” Hahn told CBS2 about the terrifying ordeal.
The LAPD says they were the only ones who opened fire, but they were prompted to shoot when the suspect pointed his revolver at customers inside the gas station’s convenience store.
