'He wanted to be a cop and the LAPD killed him': 'Unarmed' Asian teen shot dead by police after dramatic chase was cadet drop-out

Police helicopter cameras capture the high-speed freeway chase

Suspect Abdul Arian heard saying: 'I have a gun'

Arian dodged flying bullets as police pursued the fleeing motorist



Uncle says he wanted to be a policeman, adding: 'He was a good boy, he'd never had a fight. He was the straightest kid you could know'

Shooting comes at sensitive time in the US on the back of Trayvon Martin's death



The 19-year-old who was shot dead on a Los Angeles highway was once in the city’s Police Department Explorer Academy, but had been discharged because of disciplinary reasons, it has been revealed.

Though it is unclear why Abdul Arian was removed from the program, police confirmed the program teaches students who are interested in careers in law enforcement.

Arian was killed on live television after a dramatic chase down Highway 101.

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Police chase: Unarmed motorist Abdul Arian is seen running backwards and simulating pointing a weapon

Desperate: Abdul Arian, 19, was reportedly unarmed as police caught up with him on the 101 Freeway

Tragic loss: This undated photo shows Ray Karimee, left, and his younger cousin, Abdul, while family members are at a loss as to what caused Abdul's erratic behaviour (left centre and right)



Partial transcript of 911 call Abdul made during the freeway chase

Abdul: I have been arrested before for possession of destructive devices, I'm not afraid of the cops.

If they pull their guns, I'm going to have to pull my gun out on them. Police dispatcher: I don't want you to hurt yourself. Abdul: I'm not gonna get hurt s*** h***, f*** these police, they're going to get hurt.

Arian’s uncle, Hamed Arian, told the Los Angeles Times that his nephew aspired to be a police officer.



He said: ‘He wanted to be an LAPD cop, and the LAPD killed him.’

The dramatic video shows an LAPD police patrol car smashing into Arian's car as he does a failed U-turn in the road before he flees simulating pointing a weapon at chasing police.

News helicopter footage from CBS Sky 2 shows Arian jumping out of his car, turning and fleeing the scene running backwards.

He then repeatedly spins around in a combat stance just before he was shot on the US 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills, LA.

But a different picture is emerging of the man who was killed after the high-speed car chase.



His Facebook page suggests a different story with Arian posting comments and pictures which shed light on his interests and lifestyle.



In one on April 5, he posted a status update, saying: 'Just came back from the shooting range.'



There is also an enlarged photo of his car posted on the page.



Beaming: A glowing undated picture of the teenager in happier times

Fled: Arian left his car behind to try and avert chasing police in the dramatic footage captured on live television

A helicoptor news camera captures the fleeing 19-year-old after he had failed to stop for driving recklessly

It has emerged that Arian made a frantic 911 call to police during the pursuit, saying he had a gun, but one wasn't recovered from the scene.



Arian was shot dead by an officer as he fled his vehicle just before 10pm Friday night.

The images of last night's police chase show the aftermath of the scene on the freeway wreathed with smashed remnants of the suspect’s car and bullet casings.

The shooting comes at a very sensitive time in America following the huge public outcry over Trayvon Martin's shooting.

In a case which has gripped America and generated international headlines, Martin's killer George Zimmerman, who claimed he was acting in self defence, was charged with second degree murder this week after police hunted him for 45 days.



He faces the prospect of life in prison.



Lieutenant Andy Neiman said: 'The investigation will determine what happened, what the officer saw, what the witnesses saw.

'Sometimes what you see from a live shot from the air unit may or may not be exactly what people think so until we determine exactly what the witnesses saw, we can't make any comment on that.

Asked if the suspect was carrying a gun, Lt. Neiman said: 'That has not been determined at this point.'

The suspect's uncle Hamed Arian told the station: 'He was a nice kid. He was working. He was such a sweet kid, respectful to others.

'He wanted to be a cop and like I said before, during the chase last night, he was calling 911.

'He was afraid of cops. You know, he told me he wants to be a good cop, not a crooked cop.'

His family revealed he was working as a party-planning company as he pursued his dream of becoming a police officer.



Family members told how he graduated Taft High School but officials with the Los Angeles Unified School District said he left Taft in October 2011. It was unclear if he received his General Education Development (GED) test.

CBS reported that no weapon had been recovered from the scene as they reported the story last night.



The 101 Freeway was littered with smashed car remnants and bullet casings as police arrived on the scene

Carrying a gun? Lt Neiman says everything is not always as it seems from live TV images as the suspect appeared to be simulating holding a weapon

Arian's uncle Hamed said he was a young man who neither took drugs or drank alcohol and was 'afraid of guns'.

Abdul was shot dead by police after they fired off more than 90 rounds after a high-speed chase

The youth's uncle said he last saw his nephew at 6pm on Wednesday night when he left for the gym, where he typically lifted weights and had a personal trainer.



Just four hours later, police say they saw Arian driving erratically on the Northridge Fashion Center and tried to pull him over.



But he refused and police pursued him on a frenetic, high-speed chase through the city's streets before he pulled onto the Ventura Freeway, ending on the eastbound 101 freeway.



The suspect's car was a Crown Victoria, which his uncle revealed was a one-time police cruiser that had been bought at an auction.



According to a partial transcript of the call made by Arian to a police dispatcher, he said: 'I have been arrested before for possession of destructive devices, I'm not afraid of the cops.



'If they pull their guns, I'm going to have to pull my gun out on them.'



The dispatcher desperately tried to stop Arian, pleading with him: 'I don't want you to hurt yourself.'

Arian responded with a string of expletives before and a threat: 'These police, they're going to get hurt.'

'As soon as he came out from (the) gym, he ran a red light,' Hamed told Channel 2. 'He panicked. OK? He panicked and he ran."

He suggested that when his nephew got out of the car, he was trying to tell police that he was on the phone with 911.



Lt. Neiman added: 'It's certainly bizarre behavior, and it ended in a tragic situation for all involved.'

Despairing family members gathered together this morning as news of Arian's death spread.

Consoling each other outside his uncle Hamed's home, they desperately tried to make sense of his death.

The young man was an aspiring policeman yet he also declared a dislike for police, they said.

It is believed that this stemmed from the fact he was stopped several times by officers who told him he needed to repaint his car - a retried police cruiser - because it was black and white.

'That's why he didn't like police,' Karimee added, saying that Abdul eventually painted the vehicle solid black.

Devastated: Family members gather together outside his uncle Hamed's home in Woodland Hills, California