A Los Angeles police officer was injured early Sunday after a man stole her patrol car while she was inside and then ejected her from the patrol car.
The unnamed officer had been working at a security detail at 12th and Figueroa streets around 3:30 a.m. when a man approached his vehicle and managed to get inside, according to the department.
“The suspect took off with the police vehicle and at some point the officer was ejected from the vehicle,” according to the department's incident summary, posted on social media platform X.
The suspect drove the vehicle north of Figueroa and crashed before leaving that scene and crashing at 7th and Figueroa streets. Photos from the scene released by KTLA-TV show the police van crashed into a pole, its front end severely damaged while an overturned bicycle and scooters lay amid debris on a sidewalk. Police said the suspect got out of the patrol car and attempted to flee, but was detained.
The officer was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition. The suspect was evaluated at the scene and “cleared to be transported to the station for arrest processing,” according to the department's summary.
A department spokesperson said no further information was available.
