Driver leads CHP on high-speed chase from San Diego to LAX, taken into custody after standoff

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A driver on Thursday afternoon led California Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed chase that originated in San Diego County and culminated in a tense standoff outside Los Angeles International Airport.

The pursuit began when police in San Diego attempted to pull over the suspect, who was heading in the wrong direction in oncoming lanes at the time, the CHP said.

The man behind the wheel of a dark-colored Nissan sedan reached speeds over 90 mph while driving in mostly uncrowded lanes during mid-afternoon traffic, quickly making his way up the 5 Freeway.

After speeding through Orange County, the driver made his way through Downey, Compton and Inglewood, transitioning from freeway to freeway.

Video from AIR7 HD showed a man driving the Nissan with tinted windows. He intermittently stuck his head out of the window and looked behind him while driving, at one time opening a water bottle.

Shortly after 1 p.m., the suspect drove onto a transition road near Los Angeles International Airport and exited the vehicle. He stood on the edge of the bridge as officers positioned themselves behind the open doors of their patrol vehicles. A standoff ensued.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the man was threatening to jump from the overpass and was possibly armed with a knife.

Firefighters were seen inflating an oversized cushion on the roadway below.

Traffic on nearby Sepulveda and Century boulevards was affected as the standoff continued. In a tweet, LAX urged travelers who were headed to access the airport by using the entrance on southbound Sepulveda.

"Flights are not impacted, but traffic will be heavy and delayed," one tweet said.

The standoff ended without incident just after 2:30 p.m., when the suspect stepped away from the edge of the overpass and was taken into custody by officers.