A pedestrian possibly armed with a hammer was fatally shot by police on the northbound Hollywood (101) Freeway near downtown Thursday, forcing a closure of the heavily traveled roadway and creating the second police shooting-related traffic jam in the area in less than a week.
The California Highway Patrol was informed about 7:30 a.m. Thursday that a pedestrian possibly armed with a hammer was on the northbound Hollywood (101) Freeway just north of Fourth Street, according to the agency.
At least one officer who responded to the location opened fire, according to the CHP.
No officers were injured, but the suspect was taken to a hospital, an officer told City News Service.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman confirmed one person was taken to a hospital from the scene.
According to reports from the scene, the suspect was later pronounced dead and the California Department of Justice was taking charge of the investigation.
The suspect’s name and age were not immediately available and it was not clear if a hammer was recovered.
All northbound traffic was diverted at Fourth Street and the Whittier Boulevard on-ramp to the northbound 101 was closed, as were the transition roads to the northbound 101 from the Pomona (60) and the San Bernardino (10) freeways following the shooting, with traffic backed up to Garfield Avenue.
Southbound lanes were briefly shut down but quickly reopened following the shooting, according to the CHP.
An estimate on how long the closure might last was not immediately available.
Last Friday, a man who allegedly fired at officers with a “ghost gun” during a vehicle chase on the San Diego (405) Freeway in Westchester was fatally wounded by police. The decedent was identified as Thomas Hearn, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
That shooting prompted the closure of the northbound 405 from 4:30 a.m. to early afternoon Friday, creating major traffic backups in the area.