NB 405 Freeway reopens nearly 8 hours after police shoot and kill robbery suspect in Playa Vista

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. (KABC) -- All northbound lanes of the 405 Freeway in Playa Vista are open again after an early morning police chase ended in the deadly shooting of a robbery suspect.

All northbound traffic on the freeway was shut down for nearly eight hours due to the police shooting and subsequent investigation.

Police responded to a robbery call at around 4:15 a.m. in the 5800 block of West Manchester Avenue in Westchester. The suspect, described only as a male adult, reportedly threatened to shoot a Yellow Cab driver during an attempted robbery.

When officers arrived at the scene, the victim led them to the suspect, who was in a black Kia Soul. The suspect reportedly refused to listen to police commands, and a short pursuit ensued.

"At that time, during the pursuit, the suspect opened fire, presumably towards the officers' direction, and a short time later, stopped the vehicle, exited that vehicle in possession of a handgun on the northbound 405 Freeway in the Playa Vista area," LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said during an impromptu news conference at the scene. "The officers gave him direction and commands to drop the handgun, but he refused to comply, and an officer-involved shooting occurred at that time."

Dark cellphone video of the incident shows what appears to be a handgun on the ground.

The suspect was given medical aid at the scene and then transported to a hospital, where he later died, authorities said. A handgun was recovered at the scene, according to Bland.

No other injuries were reported.

The investigation prompted significant traffic disruptions in the area.

The northbound lanes of the 405 Freeway were shut down from 4 a.m. through just before 1 p.m., causing major traffic slowdowns for the morning and early afternoon commutes.

Authorities diverted vehicles off the freeway at Howard Hughes Parkway as traffic slowed to a crawl, and several northbound on-ramps remained closed. At one point, the northbound side of the freeway was backed up for miles, and traffic on the southbound side was also moving slowly despite all lanes remaining open.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Investigators have not released the man's name.

LAPD says bodycam footage of the shooting will be released in the coming weeks.