"He did this whole turn and almost got hit," said April Jones, a witness. "He was like right in front of us. Oh my gosh, it was just really scary. There are kids walking, people, so many pedestrians in L.A., and he could have really killed somebody."
The suspect hit at least one car, injuring the other driver and sending that driver to a hospital. The suspect also caused a police vehicle to slam into a tree near the intersection of Denker Ave. and 37th Street.
"We had to duck and run behind cars and stuff, because we were afraid for our lives, you know?" said Ebony Upshaw, a witness at the scene.
It all started when he allegedly made several threats at the LAPD's Southwest Station.
"In the parking lot there is an exit right in front of Southwest Station so that they can exit on King Boulevard," said LAPD Lt. Rick Banks. "He pulls up blocking the exit and starts yelling profanities at the officers, making criminal-type threats: 'I wanna kill you, I wanna kill the officers,' and just impulsively takes off."
It all ended when police surrounded his car with patrol vehicles. As the suspect got out, he was arrested. About a dozen officers subdued him. Some residents say the suspect was giving up and wonder if officers used too much force.
"Police work is not pretty," said Banks. "And we try to stop and subdue and stop the action so that no one gets hurt."
"He definitely got what he deserved," said April Jones. "But I wish they would have caught him sooner because he really was going wild."
Some residents said the suspect was distraught over the recent death of his father. Police said they have heard that, were investigating it, but did not confirm it. The suspect was taken to be interviewed at the LAPD Southwest Station where it all began.
