Police Fatally Wound Oceanside Man Following Wild Chase Through Los Angeles

The man who led police on a wild 60-minute-long chase through South Los Angeles, and who was apparently shot and killed after his late-model Chevrolet Corvette smashed into another car, was identified today as an Oceanside man.

Brian Newt Beaird, 51, died at a hospital 43 minutes after the chase ended Friday night, said Los Angeles Coroner's Office Capt. John Kades. No cause of death was reported, and an autopsy would be conducted by Tuesday, he said.

Beaird was apparently shot by Los Angeles police an unknown number of times as he got out of the silver Corvette, which was banged up, smoking and wedged between poles on a sidewalk at the end of the chase.

As paramedics performed CPR and other rescue efforts, Beaird was taken six blocks to California Hospital medical Center, where he died at 11:13 p.m., the coroner said.

The apparent shooting will be investigated by the LAPD Force Investigation Division, said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Lt. Andy Neiman.

Live television pictures at 10 p.m. Friday showed the Corvette running numerous red lights and stop signs, and weaving as it sped through neighborhoods and commercial districts between Cudahy, southeast of Los Angeles, and the area near the Staples Center.

Just after 10:30 p.m. when the Corvette smashed into a a Nissan Maxima, sending it spinning, at East Olympic Boulevard and South Los Angeles Street, the video showed.

As the car's tires spun and smoked, the driver exited from the Corvette. He was then apparently shot, and collapsed on his back on a sidewalk.

The footage and the videographer's description suggested the suspect was a white male, wearing jeans, a grey sweatshirt and white shoes.

Another videographer said CPR was performed on the suspect, who was then taken away by ambulance.

The vehicle had been pursued by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol vehicles before the LAPD took over at 10:16 p.m. Friday, Herrera said.

"It was in our jurisdiction and it just happened that the officers were in the area," Herrera said. "We did go into tailing mode and then we went into pursuit."

Lt. Josh Barton of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department East Los Angeles station said the pursuit began in Cudahy at 9:30 p.m., when deputies attempted to pull the driver over for drunk and reckless driving. --City News Service