A man in an SUV that was reported stolen weaved dangerously through traffic at high speeds Wednesday before driving to the Port of Los Angeles and climbing atop a gantry crane.
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department‘s Wilshire Division first chased the white Subaru SUV about 3:10 p.m., but lost sight of it.
Sheriff’s deputies and then Long Beach police later tracked the suspect as he raced along streets and the Harbor (110) Freeway, driving on the wrong side of streets and scraping the SUV against K-rails along the way before heading into the harbor area.
The suspect, wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey, drove through the terminal area before bailing out of the still-rolling vehicle around 6:15 p.m.
He climbed a gantry crane and perched himself several stories above the piers and channels on the waterfront where at various times he danced around and lounged on his back before stripping off his clothes.
Law enforcement officers and firefighters positioned themselves below and crews, including divers, waited in boats, ready to attempt a rescue or recovery if the man jumped or fell.
At 8 p.m., the standoff continued.
An LAPD officer said he could not immediately confirm that the SUV had been taken from a dealership in San Bernardino.
–City News Service