Driver in custody after stealing LADWP SUV and ramming into LAPD cruisers during pursuit, crashes in Atwater Village
A man is in custody after he stole a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power vehicle and led LAPD officers on a dangerous pursuit and standoff in Atwater Village Wednesday night.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the suspect rammed into several patrol vehicles during the pursuit before crashing in the 4500 block of Colorado Boulevard near Edenhurst Avenue.
Around 7 p.m., a standoff began after the suspect refused to leave the vehicle and barricaded himself inside.
Two SWAT vehicles arrived at the scene a short time later and boxed in the LADWP SUV. Officers shot at the driver and the vehicle had multiple bullet holes in the windshield and driver's side door with no visible tires.
Officers set up a perimeter at Colorado Boulevard and San Fernando Road, near the Harding Municipal Golf Course. They avoided approaching the vehicle as the driver seemed agitated and was armed with a screwdriver as well as a small-caliber handgun.
As the standoff continued, the man continued to move erratically in the back of the SUV, hanging out the rear windshield and smearing blood on the trunk door.
The man proceeded to throw objects at the armored SWAT cars while continuing to behave in an unsettling fashion.
The standoff continued for another hour until the driver climbed on top of the SUV, shirtless, wearing only a pair of blood-soaked pants. Shortly after, SWAT officers arrested him and brought the incident to an end around 8:45 p.m.
Three officers were injured during the incident, one with injuries that were considered to be "serious," according to an LAPD spokesperson. Two of the officers were treated at the scene and the other was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The suspect was also taken to the hospital for a gunshot wound in his leg after officers fired at him.
