Police In Torrance Fatally Shoot Woman Who Rammed Car Into Police Cruiser

TORRANCE (CBSLA.com) — A woman in her 30s was shot and killed by police Monday in Torrance after she allegedly steered her vehicle at officers at the end of a chase, authorities said.

The shooting occurred about 2:35 p.m. at Cabrillo Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, according to Torrance Police Sgt. Paul Kranke.

A report from the scene showed a vehicle with apparent bullet holes in its windows outside a gas station.

Kranke said police received multiple calls about 2:30 p.m. about a reckless, possibly intoxicated driver in the area of Arlington and Post avenues.

Officers saw the car, already with collision damage and airbags deployed, being driven erratically, on the wrong side of the street, and nearly hitting several other vehicles, Kranke said.

A traffic stop was attempted, but the driver didn't yield, Kranke said. Police said they also employed spike strips in an effort to get the woman to stop.

An officer executed a PIT maneuver, which initially stopped the vehicle, he said.

As officers, some of them out of their squad cars, approached the vehicle, the woman allegedly drove at them and rammed one of the cruisers.

At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred and the woman was wounded, Kranke said.

Officers administered CPR until firefighters took the woman to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

One officer sustained moderate injuries when the suspect rammed his squad car as he was exiting the vehicle, Kranke said.

Reporting from the scene, KCAL9's Tom Wait said the car was sprayed the car with gunfire.

The dramatic moment was captured by several people on cellphone video.

One woman, who didn't want to be identified, told Wait she saw what was happened and got out her phone.

"I saw the actual car with the female driver hit the cop car," the woman said, "I thought she just hit them when she was trying to get out of the way and then all of a sudden, you see all the police draw their weapons and start shooting."

The intersection was closed and police advised the public to avoid the area as they conducted an investigation.

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