Burglary suspect killed in officer-involved shooting in La Habra

LA HABRA, Calif. - A suspect was shot and killed while trying to run down officers in a La Habra car dealership early Thursday, police said.

Officers were dispatched at 2:40 a.m. to the 1200 block of East La Habra Boulevard to investigate a report of a suspect "tampering" with vehicles at a  dealership that was closed, according to La Habra police Sgt. Jose Rocha.

When officers arrived, they saw a black Cadillac Escalade on the property with the engine running, Rocha said. The suspect behind the wheel refused to get out when ordered and at some point displayed gang signs and told officers he was armed, the sergeant said.

Police tried to subdue him with "less lethal ammunitions," but he still refused to get out of the SUV, Rocha said.

The suspect then began ramming some of the cars on the property in trying to drive away and then rammed the Escalade through a metal roll-up door into the dealership offices, Rocha said. The suspect drove through the other side, where he steered toward officers on the scene, prompting the officer- involved shooting, the sergeant said.

None of the officers at the scene were injured, Rocha said. The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office will investigate the shooting as is routine in officer-involved conflicts.