LA Deputies Tear Gas Car After High Speed Chase Without Knowing Suspect’s 9-Year-Old Daughter Was Inside

A 9-year-old girl was mistakenly tear gassed in Los Angeles because sheriff's deputies say they didn’t realize she was in the backseat of a car involved in a high speed chase. The girl’s mother, the alleged driver, was suspected of a hit and run.

The three-hour pursuit ended when deputies lowered a canister of tear gas into the red Nissan. But they say they didn’t know that the little girl was inside. Video shows her stumbling out of the backseat and into the arms of a deputy.

“She was crying. She was grabbing a hold of me, and I just told her, ‘It's OK, it's OK,’” the deputy said.

The girl was not injured and is now in the care of protective services. Her mother is facing a number of charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment.

RELATED STORIES