Pursuit suspect in custody after wild 3-county chase, hour-long standoff near LAX
LOS ANGELES - A pursuit suspect was taken into custody Thursday afternoon after leading officers on a three-county chase that ended following an hour-long standoff in front of Los Angeles International Airport.
The chase began in San Diego, then traveled through Orange and LA Counties.
The vehicle, a dark-colored Nissan Altima, was wanted for driving recklessly.
The suspect was seen driving on the 5 and 105 Freeways at high rates of speed.
He eventually got off the freeway in Westchester, near LAX, and was weaving in and out of traffic. SkyFOX captured officers attempting to do a pit-maneuver on W. Imperial, but the suspect vehicle got away. The suspect then continued driving on Century Blvd. and World Way, entering the airport area. Officers attempted another pit-maneuver which successfully disabled the suspect vehicle. From there, the suspect got out of the car and ran a few feet toward the ledge of the bridge.
Police chase: Reckless driver leads CHP on chase from San Diego to LAX
Authorities say that a motorist led officers on a pursuit from the San Diego area to the area of World Way and Century Boulevard near Los Angeles International Airport, where CHP officers did a PIT maneuver on the vehicle. The driver attempted to escape, prompting a standoff on an overcrossing near LAX.
It appeared the suspect was looking for any means of escaping. Refusing to surrender, officers then engaged in an hour-long standoff.
Officers attempted to get him down from the ledge; hostage negotiators were called to the scene. Firefighters arrived and set up an airbag on the floor, in case the suspect jumped.
Crisis negotiators speaking with pursuit suspect as he sits on the ledge of the overpass on West Century Boulevard near LAX.
The suspect was taken into custody around 2:40 p.m. Images from SkyFOX show him being taken away in an ambulance. It is unknown if the suspect was injured.
Pursuit suspect placed in ambulance following hour-long standoff outside LAX.
The large police presence impacted travelers at LAX. Airport officials said traffic on westbound Century Blvd. and northbound Sepulveda Blvd. was impacted.
Traffic impacted outside LAX due to standoff with pursuit suspect.
Airport travelers were encouraged to use the entrance on southbound Sepulveda Blvd. No flights were impacted.