Wild chase suspect in custody after standoff in Van Nuys

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man wanted for making criminal threats took Los Angeles police officers on a dangerous pursuit through the San Fernando Valley before crashing in Van Nuys on Sunday.

The pursuit of the armed suspect ended outside a strip mall after an intense standoff with police.

Authorities said the chase began after the suspect got into some type of altercation with another person at a store on the 8300 block of Haskell Avenue.

When officers arrived to investigate the disturbance, the man took off, leading police on the pursuit that went from the streets to the freeway.

The suspect pulled off the freeway and collided with another driver at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and Valerio Street.

Police, including SWAT officers, surrounded the suspect's car with guns drawn and ordered the driver to surrender.

Police were able to make contact with the suspect while the pursuit was still underway, trying to convince him to pull over.

"The officers were on the phone. The suspect was on the phone with our communications division... was indicating that he did not want to stop. He had a firearm in the vehicle and the units engaged, following him, hoping to stop the vehicle," said Capt. Beverly Lewis of the LAPD.

Crisis negotiators were in contact with the suspect throughout the standoff before he got out of his vehicle and gave himself up without any further trouble.