A suspect was taken into custody Friday after a brief pursuit that ended in a PIT maneuver on the westbound Artesia (91) Freeway in Compton.
According to the Long Beach Police Department, officers were in a brief pursuit with the suspect before the involvement of the California Highway Patrol.
It was initially presumed that the suspect was wanted for kidnapping, but police could not confirm that claim.
All lanes of the southbound Long Beach (710) Freeway in the vicinity of the standoff were shut down around 5:20 p.m. Friday as authorities were engaging in a standoff with a man who refused to exit a white van on the freeway at Alondra Boulevard.
The suspect began driving south on the Long Beach Freeway despite having a flat tire on the driver’s side of the vehicle, with law enforcement following in pursuit.
Several minutes into the brief pursuit, authorities appeared to have backed away from the chase on the westbound Artesia Freeway.
The suspect exited his vehicle, walked down the off-ramp, and appeared to be smoking a cigarette moments before reentering the van and driving away again.
The CHP quickly stopped him after officers employed a PIT maneuver on the westbound Artesia Freeway near Santa Fe Avenue, prompting another standoff with law enforcement.
During the standoff with the CHP, officers shot several less-lethal rounds at the vehicle in an attempt to de-escalate the matter and take the suspect into custody. Several bullet holes were visible in the van’s window.
At one point, aerial video showed the suspect reaching out the passenger’s side window and sealing a blanket over the broken window.
CHP officers took the suspect into custody shortly before 8 p.m. after pulling him out of the vehicle and onto the ground.