Suspect Surrenders After Leading Chase In Stolen LAPD Cruiser
WOODLAND HILLS (CBSLA) — A man is in custody after leading several LAPD officers in a wild chase in one of their own black-and-white units.
"I got a stolen black-and-white with a rifle and a shotgun in it," an officer reported over the radio.
The chase began after 1 a.m. near Vine and Yucca streets in Hollywood as the officers in the unit got out to chase down a suspect in an unrelated vandalism. The suspect jumped into the unoccupied patrol SUV and took off.
Several patrol units responded to help chase down the suspect, who got onto the northbound Hollywood (101) Freeway and made his way into the San Fernando Valley. He got off the freeway and was in the process of making a U-turn when he crashed into a curb in Woodland Hills, which ended the chase, police said.
What this officer did is not what police are trained to do. "What we train our officers to do, though, is to lock and secure their vehicle when they exit it, of course, under any circumstances," LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar told CBS2 News.
"It is a discussion that you better believe has gone all the way up to the chief's office," said Aguilar.
The man subsequently surrendered, with video showing him with his hands up before he got onto the ground and was taken into custody by several police officers. Police confirmed that a mark seen above his left eye was actually a tattoo.
No injuries were reported.
LAPD officials say it was a priority to catch the suspect because of the loaded firearms inside the vehicle and to prevent any attempts at impersonating a police officer. There was no indication the suspect tried to unlock the secured shotgun.
Earlier this week, an L.A. Fire Dept. ambulance was stolen by a woman at California Hospital in Downtown. She surrendered after a chase that ended in Chino Hills.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
