A bizarre, hours-long vehicle chase in Los Angeles neared a conclusion early Wednesday when a suspect who was believed to be armed and dangerous finally exited the vehicle more than six hours later.
At about 1:20 a.m. local time, the driver was standing aside the vehicle, with his back to police, as officers in at least six vehicles weughed their next moves in an effort to take the suspect into custody.
Throughout the evening, video posted by FOX 11 in Los Angeles and other stations had showed a silver Chevy Malibu with Oklahoma plates traveling around the city, largely on Interstate 110, with police vehicles close behind and news helicopters overhead.
What started as a high-speed chase after 7 p.m. eventually slowed to less than 5 mph after the suspect’s vehicle had at least three flat tires damaged by a spike strip, KNBC-TV of Los Angeles reported.
Police were pursuing carefully because the driver was believed to be in possession of a weapon, the report said.
The cautiousness of the pursuit was in accordance with police training, Joe Buscaino, a Los Angeles city councilman who served as an L.A. police officer, told the station.
He noted the vehicle chase came amid a time of rising crime in the nation’s second-largest city.
“I anticipate it’s going to get worse before it gets better, unfortunately,” Buscaino said.
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The chase covered stretches of Interstate 110, in both north and south directions, as the driver exited and re-entered the freeway, KNBC-TV reported.
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Around 11 p.m. local time the suspect was seen driving slowly in El Monte, Calif., with at least four police vehicles close behind. All vehicles were in driving slowly, and many vehicles were seen parked along the roadway, with passengers watching the action.
The chase began around 7 p.m. local time on a report of a suspect with a gun, the station reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
