110 Freeway Reopened After Barricade Situation In Exposition Park
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A man pursued by police on suspicion of DUI was arrested following a standoff with Los Angeles police officers on the Harbor (110) Freeway near Exposition Park.
The freeway, which was closed Saturday night during the police activity, was reopened early Sunday morning.
The suspect was arrested at 11:22 p.m. Saturday on the Harbor Freeway at Boulevard.
The pursuit reportedly started at about 10:30 p.m. at Vernon Avenue and Main Street when officers saw the man driving erratically at 20 mph. The man drove the black car northbound on the Harbor Freeway and turned southbound at Exposition Boulevard.
Police used a spike strip to stop the car and SWAT officers boxed it in with their vehicles. The 38-year-old man -- said to have a police record -- reportedly was taunting officers. He could be seen hanging out of the driver's side window talking on a cellphone.
He armed himself with a long stick and told police he had taken crystal methamphetamine.
The drama unfolded as a collection of broadcast helicopters hovered overhead filming the action.
Northbound traffic was backed nearly 10 miles to at least Gardena and southbound traffic was backed up for several miles, according to broadcast reports.
At the time of the stop, hemmed-in motorists were told to abandon their cars on the freeway, broadcasters said.
Southbound traffic on the 110 was moving a few minutes after the suspect's arrest, authorities said, but travel was slow into the early morning due to the backup.
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