McDonald’s machete suspect hit by police cruiser in LA drive-thru, video shows
Police in Southern California have released video footage showing officers responding to reports of a man with a machete near a McDonald’s — then hitting the man with their cruiser.
The officers involved in the South Los Angeles incident were called to the scene on reports of an assault with a deadly weapon around 2:45 p.m. on June 15 near the intersection of West Slauson Avenue and Ruthelen Street, according to Capt. Gisselle Espinoza of the Los Angeles Police Department.
A 911 caller said a roughly 30-year-old man was “throwing rocks at cars” and was walking from the Home Depot toward a McDonalds, according to audio released by police.
Video recorded by a camera mounted on the car shows the responding officers speeding the wrong way into a drive-thru, rounding the corner and striking the suspect with their vehicle — knocking him to the ground. It appears to be a Pollo Campero drive-thru.
“Oh!” one of the officers says as the vehicle hits the man, video shows.
After the suspect jumps to his feet, he starts running and tosses an item wrapped in a blanket into some bushes. An officer hops out of the cruiser and chases after him through a parking lot, video recorded by the officer’s body camera shows.
“Let me see your hands,” the officer tells the suspect. “Let me see your hands, bro.”
Eventually the officer catches up to the suspect, brings him to the ground and arrests him.
Espinoza said the suspect was identified as Carlos Avelar, a 28-year-old from Los Angeles. Avelar was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and was booked for assault with a deadly weapon. Police said prosecutors have also charged him with robbery and criminal threats.
Authorities are still investigating the officers’ handling of the situation, and the injury Avelar sustained.
“We’re still at the very early stages of this investigation, which could often take up to a year to complete,” LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstin said in a video released on Tuesday about the incident. “We also do not draw any conclusion about whether the officers acted consistently with our policy and the law until all the facts are known and the investigation is complete.”
No one other than Avelar was hurt, KABC reports.
This story was originally published August 2, 2019 at 11:56 AM with the headline "McDonald’s machete suspect hit by police cruiser in LA drive-thru, video shows."
