Man in custody after barricading himself inside bullet-riddled LADWP vehicle in Atwater Village
ATWATER VILLAGE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man led police on a chase and then barricaded himself inside a stolen, bullet-riddled LADWP vehicle for more than two hours in Atwater Village Wednesday evening.
The lengthy and bizarre standoff ended around 8:45 p.m. when law enforcement swarmed the man when he emerged from the stolen SUV and climbed onto the roof of the vehicle. His leg was wounded and his hand was bloodied, presumably from when he smashed the back window of the SUV.
Several bullet holes marked the side of the LADWP SUV, and at least one tire was completely gone.
The lengthy standoff all unfolded in the area of Edenhurst Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
Much of the suspect's crime spree was captured on camera. In that footage, the suspect can be seen crashing the stolen city vehicle through part of a wall and into a van. He's then confronted by police, who open fire.
Witnesses captured video of him angrily yelling at officers out the car window while waving around what looked like a screwdriver.
Police opened fire once again when the suspect crashed into a cruiser.
The suspect crashed into a fence, and the standoff soon began.
LAPD SWAT vehicles surrounded the suspect as he remained holed up in the vehicle for about two hours.
At one point he climbed out the back window, appearing to taunt officers.
Three officers were injured after the suspect rammed their vehicles, police said. One officer was in serious condition and two others officers suffered minor injuries.
"I've never seen someone ram multiple vehicles in this way with a vehicle that size, but thankfully there were not more seriously injured people as a result of this," said Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton.
The suspect was taken to the hospital and he's expected to survive.
Prior to the standoff, the suspect led police on a chase on the 5 Freeway. According to the LAPD, the suspect struck two innocent drivers during that chase.
