LAPD Standoff Concludes After Downey Pursuit Over Possible Narcotics Violation
COMMERCE (CBSLA.com) — LAPD was in pursuit of a suspect in the area of Commerce on Tuesday.
The suspect vehicle was a dark-colored Land Rover, traveling down the I-5 freeway from Downtown.
The suspect exited the freeway shortly before 3:40 p.m, and was traveling at relatively low speeds.
A Hispanic female had bailed out of the vehicle at Central and 8th, according to police scanner traffic. That suspect was reportedly taken into custody.
The suspect was wanted for a narcotics-related matter. It was the narcotics unit that called the vehicle in.
Police executed a pit maneuver at 3:42 p.m., before the suspect turned and continued to evade units. The suspect vehicle made contact with a traffic sign on the sidewalk during the maneuver.
The speed of the pursuit escalated after the maneuver.
Scanner traffic suggests the suspect is from Downey. The driver came to a stop at a cul-de-sac in a residential neighborhood at 3:45 p.m.
The suspect crawled into the passenger seat shortly after coming to a stop, and appeared to be drinking something.
At least nine police cruisers were in position behind the stopped vehicle. Officers were issuing commands to the suspect.
Traffic stoppage in the area was temporary, but parts of Telegraph Rd. remained closed through the standoff. Part of the 605 freeway was shut down in the area of the standoff. The closure resulted in a large backup on the 605, reported to be at least two miles in length.
For more information on traffic through areas near the pursuit, visit our live traffic map here.
The suspect appeared to be smoking as the standoff continued through 4:23 p.m.
At 4:57 p.m., the suspect appeared to begin exiting the vehicle. He stood outside the vehicle at 5 p.m., facing officers. The suspect was taken into custody at 5 p.m.
